Unspoken Words
by Rex Tims
Summary: A silent Potter enters Hogwarts. With only the written word, how does his place in the Wizarding world change? AU with a Harry who does a little more thinking. Abandoned, rewriting it as Best to say nothing.
1. A Mute's Point

Professor Severus Snape stopped reading, his lips twitching. 'Potter?' He looked over the class of first-year students, his eyes stopping on one with an arm raised, emerald eyes and a lightning bolt scar beneath the messy, jet-black hair. 'Too much of a celebrity to answer like everyone else?'

A girl beside him with frizzy brown hair spoke up. 'Harry doesn't talk at all, sir.'

'I did not ask for your input, Miss Granger,' he snarled. 'Five points from Gryffindor.' Slowly, he turned his gaze back to the boy, who was writing something down on a piece of paper. 'Writing a note for someone, are we?' His sneer dropped when the boy nodded, pointing at him. 'Very well, give it here.'

Harry got up, walking to the front of the class, passed looks of worry from some and smugness from others. He carefully placed the small bit of parchment in front of the teacher before turning and walking back.

Snape studied him as he sat back down before turning to the writing, deciding to read it out loud in the most obnoxious voice he could manage. '"I am sorry if my inactions caused you offence, but as my classmate said, I am unable to speak." So the Boy-Who-Lived thinks he can become a wizard when he can't use incantations?'

Half the class gave something between a snort and laugh. Hermione Granger was preparing to rant about wordless magic, but was still recovering from losing her house points - something she didn't think she would have ever done.

The lack of response from Harry annoyed Snape and he drew the class back into silence, taking a final look at the boy before continuing to the next name and then the lesson at hand.

After a long lesson, it was after they were through the door and already on their way to their next room that Hermione was tapped on the shoulder. She turned around to a smile and a piece of folded paper. After taking it, she was about to ask what it was about before realising who had given it to her.

Opening it up, she read, '_Thank you for trying to help me._'

'Aren't you upset I lost us five points?'

He shook his head and, before she could say anything else, they had entered their next class.

Harry wasn't sure what to think as he listened to the small, enthusiastic charms teachers called Flitwick. He wondered if he would be treated like he was by Snape and was happy to find that he wasn't when not a comment was made when he only held his hand up when called.

It was only once practical work had begun that he found himself at his teacher's attention.

'Now, Mr Potter, as I'm sure your earlier teacher told you, the headmaster has informed us of your condition. I'm not one for putting students down, but I won't be the first to warn you that you're going to struggle to get even these simple spells down. My office will always be open if you want a bit of practice or advice. Did you have any questions?'

Harry shook his head and, with a reassuring smile, Flitwick began to tour the class, commenting on the technique of the other students. Wand in hand, Harry took a deep breath before carefully mimicking the movements for a levitation spell. He was disappointed to see not even a gentle stirring of his feather, but continued regardless.

On the other side of the room, Hermione was trying to help a red-headed boy. 'It's your pronunciation, Ron; it's a long "o" in "leviosa," not a short one.'

'Oh yeah? If you're so perfect, why don't you just show us all how it's done.'

Harry couldn't help but notice the spite in the words, giving up his attempts to instead watch the two of them. Hermione tried to look like he hadn't affected her, but the slight twinge was there. She cast the spell and floated the feather a metre in the air.

'Excellent! Five points to Gryffindor,' Flitwick proclaimed before turning back to a pair of boys who were struggling to get the final flick right.

Ron grumbled, but once Hermione tried to help the boy to her other side, he loudly said, 'Show off.'

Despite her quick recovery, Harry saw how it hit Hermione. Unsure why, he trained his wand on the boy and swirled his wrist.

He felt his chair wobbling and watched as the classroom fell beneath him. Looking around, he realised he was rising through the air and yelped. Everyone else stopped what they were doing and stared at him, except for Hermione who started looking around.

It took Flitwick a good few minutes to calm Ron down once he was back on the ground and another couple to convince him that it couldn't have been Hermione as she clearly didn't have her wand pointed at him during the flight.

'Why did you do it?' Hermione asked, outside the charms classroom.

Harry stopped walking towards the Great Hall and pulled out a quill and some parchment from one of the pockets on his robes. '_He deserved it._'

'I'm not saying he didn't, but why do you think he deserved it?'

'_He was being a jerk. I'm not too fond of them._'

She tried, but failed, to hold in the giggle when she read it. 'Are you going to lunch now?' He nodded. 'Would... it be okay if I joined you?' This time he smiled and started walking. 'Wait, is that a yes?'

* * *

He closed the book at the loud coughs from just in front of him. The common room was quiet, some having headed off for an early night and others getting the first bits of homework out of the way.

'Sorry to disturb you, Mr Potter,' the one twin sternly began.

'But we have come to conclusion that,' the other, just as sternly, continued.

'It was you who levitated our dear brother.'

'And humiliated him greatly.'

They took the note from him. '_Not to confirm nor deny, but what if I did?_'

'We would be have to give you a warning.'

'To not do that ever again.'

'Because it is our job to do that.'

'_What made you think it was me who did it?_'

'Three things.'

'The first we cannot tell you.'

'The second is that no one suspects you, so it must be you.'

'The third is that Ronald is destined to become a dark wizard.'

'And so you are destined to battle him.'

'_No one suspects Professor Flitwick and I can barely levitate a feather._'

'You can't fool us.'

'So until next time little Prongs.'

Harry was going to ask them what they meant by "little Prongs," but they were already up the stairs. With a sigh, he went back to the reading assignment.

* * *

The chilling wind left most shivering in the weak morning sunshine. It was excruciatingly painful for Harry to watch as the poor boy fell from his broom. Hooch stopped the bleeding before getting him up and walking to the infirmary, leaving a warning to the class.

'What have we here?' one of the boys said, moving over to where Neville had just crash landed. 'Looks like that little squib dropped his Remembrall.' Harry to started to walk over, writing a note, but before he got there the boy had taken off on his broom. 'Did you want it Potter?' Harry nodded. 'Why don't you come up here and get it?'

He thought for a moment, then discretely removed his wand. One of the crowd shouted, 'Draco, come down before Hooch gets back!' but the flier ignored them. Harry carefully targeted the ball-like object while pretending to mount his broom.

'Oh I'm so scared of big boy Potter,' Draco teased, to the amusement of some of the crowd. A few voiced objections at Harry, but he was ignoring them. Suddenly, a flick of his wrist and the Remembrall shot out of Draco's hand, though not after he tried to snatch it back, sending it arcing high across the pitch.

Draco thought about chasing, but deemed it a lost cause as it hurtled further. Harry, though, was willing to try and already racing barely above the ground. The crowd stared as the ball dropped just ahead of him, but his hands shot out and, with a last burst, caught it.

Looking up, he barely had time to react to the wooden wall fast approaching. A firm kick off the ground hurtled him upwards, another kick pushing him off the stand and catapulting through the air in a spiral while half the onlookers cheered, the other half scowling.

'Mr Potter, a word,' a rather serious sounding teacher said as he landed. Seeing that it was Professor McGonagall, his head of house and transfiguration teacher (thought he hadn't had a class yet), he visibly paled, much to the Slytherins' amusement.

* * *

Harry sat down on the table, trying not to laugh at the curious looks Hermione was giving him. Before she could ask, he jotted down what had happened between his departure from the pitch and his arrival now.

'Wait, after you did all that, she bent the rules so you could go on the Quidditch team?' Hermione asked, stunned into silence when he nodded.

'_I still have to learn all the rules, but I really like flying and think I'll enjoy it. Wood, the captain, said my dad was on the team when he was here, but he played chaser rather than seeker._'

'Well, since you didn't lose any points, I guess all I can say is congratulations.' She returned his smile before returning to her toast.

* * *

'It seems, Mr Potter, that you have a bright future in transfiguration,' McGonagall said with a smirk, admiring his needle, which was a matchstick moments prior. Glancing at her, he wasn't sure if Hermione was impressed, jealous or somewhere in the middle. 'Ten points to Gryffindor.'

The bell rang and the class hastily made their exit, McGonagall reminding them of the homework due in the following lesson. Barely a step passed the doorway, a rushing boy collided with him, taking them both to the floor.

'Watch where you're going,' Draco said, dusting himself as he stood up with the help of two large boys. He had half-turned before he realised who he ran into. Grinning, he asked, 'Did you enjoy the trouble you got into?'

His face dropped as Harry just smiled back at him before turning and walking off.

'Wait! No one does that to a Malfoy!' The others present for the incident barely contained their laughter as Harry just waved back at him, still with his back facing. 'Potter, I challenge you to a wizard's duel!' Harry stopped walking. 'I've interested you, haven't I?'

Noticing he wasn't coming to him, Draco began walking to him.

'Tonight, the trophy room, midnight,' his voice barely a whisper. He continued right passed Harry, not even turning to see if he agreed and if he had, he would be worried by his enemy's smile.

Hermione gripped his arm. 'Surely you aren't going, are you?'

* * *

The evening hastily crept upon the inhabitants of Hogwarts. He flicked again, but the quill wouldn't budge.

'So you can lift classmates, but not feathers?' Hermione asked, taking a seat next to him. 'How is that possible?'

He shifted back in his seat, admiring the luxury of the Gryffindor common room. '_Do you know about accidental magic?_'

'Of course I do. When I was little-' Harry snorted. 'Fine, littler, I broke my mum's favourite vase. I was so worried she would be upset and then, all of a sudden, the pieces started jumping back together and it was as good as new. Why did you ask?'

'_I think I did accidentally-on-purpose magic to get Ron in the air._'

This time Hermione snorted as she read it. 'Accidentally-on-purpose magic?' He nodded. 'Well, I guess it could be. What about Neville's Remembrall though?'

_'It felt the same, kind of like I wanted it to happen and it did._'

'Intent is a big part of magic, maybe that's how people do wordless magic? I'll go check the library.'

Before he could finish his note, she was gone. With a sigh, he turned back to trying, and failing, to float the quill.

* * *

Early in the morning, Draco stormed into the hall, heading straight towards the Gryffindor table and to one person in particular. A few around him tensed, but he kept perfectly calm despite having a direct view of the warpath Draco was on.

'You tattled on me to Filch! What kind of honourless mudblood are you?'

More than a couple looked ready to curse Draco, but Harry pulled out a note he had written much earlier. '_It is not a very cunning thing to tell someone who dislikes you that you will be out after curfew and where to find them._'

Those who spotted the severely angry look on Draco's face wondered what Harry could have written to do that to him and how long until there were hexes flying. Harry continued eating, despite Draco's stare, though it was his act of offering him a piece of toast that pushed him over the edge.

'Everte statum!'

Others were quickly on their feet while Harry was thrown back from his seat, landing with his back on the floor and a resounding thud. Draco, though first pleased that he managed to cast the spell, was now a little worried at the wands pointed at him.

However, Harry thought better than to let them have the fun. He noticed that, while most of the staff were watching, none had acted yet. Tapping on the shoulders between him and Draco gave him a clear line of sight. He pointed up at the teachers, Draco being gullible enough to look.

Snape glared at him, pointing to his right. Draco, unsure at first, turned back around to face Harry. Right on cue, a large pumpkin pie slammed into his face.

With a snarl, he cleaned his face enough to see, only to find himself once more staring down a dozen older and more experienced students. It took a few moments, but with a huff he fled the sniggering hall.

'Harry my boy,' the one twin said, clamping a hand on his shoulder.

'We thoroughly approve,' finished the other, taking up his other side.

They waited as he wrote. '_People looked upset when he said mudblood, could you tell me why?_'

The two looked between each other, silent communication of who would say. It was the one to his left who went first. 'Let us introduce ourselves properly.'

'George Weasley.'

'Fred Weasley.'

They each stuck an opposite hand out and Harry shook both awkwardly, looking between them both either side of him. 'It's a horrible word Slytherins.'

'And other slimy gits.'

'Use to describe.'

'People without a purely wizarding lineage.'

'So muggleborns, those with a muggleborn parent or a muggle parent.'

They paused. '_Why do they use it?_'

'They...'

'Think they are better.'

'Something about purer blood making them stronger.'

'_How can they be such idiots?_'

'A good question.'

'We think it's an inherent trait of Slytherins.'

Those listening in joined the laughter, happy to move onto lighter topics as the twins began to inform those willing to listen of some of the "unfortunate accidents" (as they described them) that had occurred during their first and second year.

* * *

'Erm Harry, did you have a sec?' a conflicted Ron asked before Harry got up from the dining table. He thought about Hermione waiting for him in the common room, but decided it would be fine and nodded. 'I, I just wanted to apologise for how I acted on the train.' Harry raised an eyebrow. 'It was stupid of me to think that you were ignoring me, I didn't know you couldn't talk and,' he paused to gulp somewhat, 'I'm sorry I called you a pompous big-head.'

Harry thought that the twins may be behind the apology, due to the excessive sweating and look of fear, but he decided neither would benefit from asking. '_Will you apologise to Hermione too?_'

'Why would I apologise to her?'

'_She was only trying to help you._'

'She's just bossy and wanted to make me look stupid.'

He shook his head, turning away and writing a note to fling over his shoulder before leaving. Ron picked it from the floor, more than a little disgruntled. '_Whatever._'

Hermione, spotting her friend, calmly walked over. 'What took you so long?'

She was impressed at how he managed to walk and write so well. '_Ron's brothers got him to apologise to me. He wouldn't for you when I asked, so I walked off._'

'Oh Harry,' she said, trying to push away the blush as she realised it was probably the first time anyone (not including teachers) had done that. 'Why wouldn't he?'

'_Something about being bossy and doing it to make him look stupid._'

'Bossy? Stupid? Well I never!'

'_I know, he doesn't need any help to look stupid._'

A suppressed smirk brightened her a bit and she tried to scold him, failing as he laughed back and she broke.

'_You are a little bossy though._'

'I am not!'

'_I distinctly remember three books I am reading at your "suggestion."_'

She was a little hurt by it. 'Whose side are you on?'

He picked up on going a bit too far. '_I'm your friend. I was just being honest._'

'Oh yeah?' Her hurt had turned to annoyance, especially as she thought about what she knew of him. 'If you're "just being honest," then why does no one know why you don't talk?'

She immediately saw this was the wrong thing to say as anger followed by a deep sadness flashed. Before she could recover to say anything, he was gone through the massive doors leading to the grounds, leaving her amongst gossiping onlookers.

Outside, he headed to Hagrid's. She didn't know that they had even met, much less that Hagrid told him he could come over whenever for tea and cakes. He didn't need to be reminded of his past right now.

The excitable dog barked inside after he knocked on the door. Hagrid quickly had the door open, releasing the massive hound onto the little boy, knocking him over and covering him in slobber.

'Stop it Fang, leave 'im be,' the booming voice of the half-giant said, somewhat succeeding in chastising the dog. ''Ow are ya, 'Arry?' he asked, hefting the boy to his feet.

'_I'm okay. Can I stay here for breakfast?_'

'Afraid I eat at the castle. Are you avoiding someone?' Hesitantly, he nodded. 'You know problems don't jus' go away.'

'_I just need a bit of time, that's all._'

Hagrid nodded. 'I'll keep yer company, maybe talk a bit abou' some of me favourite creatures.' He couldn't help but return Harry's smile. 'So, 'ave I told yer about Blast-Ended Skrewts?'

* * *

If Hermione wasn't fretting over exactly what she should say, she would have been trying to pay attention to the teacher, even if he was a dreadfully boring ghost. As it was, she wasn't at all confident it would work and she didn't want to lose her first ever proper friend.

Nervously glancing, she noticed he was taking down notes and seemingly listening intently to the ramblings, which was odd as, literally, no one else was. Wondering what he was writing, she carefully leaned over slightly.

Once she had seen it, she realised that it wasn't the spectre, but a Hufflepuff girl near the front, that he was watching. Before she could stop herself, she leaned over and whispered, 'I didn't know Susan Bones was part of the course.'

She stifled her giggles as he jumped, quickly covering up the drawing and blushing.

Her thoughts of pushing it further quickly ended and she went back to what she wanted to say. 'Listen, Harry, I'm sorry about what I said,' but she stopped as he held out a bit of parchment, one he pulled out of his pocket.

'_I'm sorry for earlier. I didn't have to be so blunt, especially when I think you only act a little bit bossy because you care._'

He was relieved to see the smile. 'I'm still sorry, I shouldn't have been so snappy. Also, I shouldn't have tried to push you - it's your decision to tell people anything, not mine.'

'_I'll tell you what, I'll forgive you if you forgive me._'

She read it and immediately said, 'Deal,' sticking her hand out and they shook on it. 'Now, about Miss Bones, is there anything you want to tell me?'

He gulped, carefully writing down what he hoped were safe words. '_I was just bored and drawing is quite fun._'

'Nice try Mr Potter, but one doesn't simply draw a specific girl for fun.' Hermione barely held in the laughter as she heard him gulp again, before turning to the history book in front of him. Deciding to take the hint, she turned to her own book, now able to fully concentrate on the lesson at hand, a little happier with her friendship safe.

* * *

After watching a particularly long (and impressive) staring match during the lesson, an odd thought occurred to Hermione. She realised she wasn't actually sure why Draco hated Harry. Of course, she knew why he hated him now, but even their first Potions class had suggested some animosity between the two.

'Harry, did you see Draco on the train?' she asked before taking another bite of lunch.

'_I did, but he pretended he didn't see me._'

'Why would he do that? Did you meet him before then or something?'

He started chuckling. '_Getting our robes at Diagon Alley. He kept telling me about how great his dad was until his dad finally stopped in and realised who I was. Draco got a bit annoyed at me ignoring him and probably would have hexed me if his dad didn't step in._'

'Well I guess it would be a bit hard to write down if Madam Malkin was measuring you, though I'm surprised she didn't step in. Didn't she know you couldn't talk?'

Harry nodded his head, smiling. '_Once they left, she burst out laughing along with her assistants. I __think she would have stopped any actual fighting, but I'm glad she didn't._'

Smiling back, she asked, 'Meet any other classmates under interesting circumstances?' She noticed the blush. 'Oh, you did! Who was it? It was Susan, wasn't it?'

He let a long sigh. '_I may have accidentally tripped her over and insisted on buying a replacement ice-cream._'

Hermione cooed. 'You've even had your first date already!' She laughed as his blush deepened and he held his finger to his lips.

'_It wasn't a date, Hagrid just gave a galleon to her aunt and then we went our separate ways._'

She frowned at this. 'That's not very romantic, but don't worry, I'll help you make sure that your first date is one for the history books.'

Harry switched from shaking his head so violently it was making him slightly ill to a facepalm when he realised she wasn't even paying him any attention, instead happily talking about ideal Hogwarts date locations. He knew this wouldn't end well.

* * *

It had only been one week, but Harry was thrilled he could finally relax. A rather eager Hermione had insisted on staying to finish even more homework, but was willing to let Harry go as long as he promised to work over the weekend.

He hadn't realised just how late it had got when he entered the nearly deserted common room, in fact there was only one person there. Observing him, Harry noticed the how tense the older boy looked.

A tap on the shoulder and he turned around, a bit confused why he was being handed a note. '_Anything I can do to help?_'

The boy offered his hand. 'You must be Potter; I'm John Bridges.' Harry gave him a smile as they shook hands, then took a seat a bit beside him and looked expectantly. John followed his movement and, after a chuckle, conceded. 'Fine, there's a bit of a problem between me and my girlfriend. Not an expert with women, by chance?'

'_I hear__d__ McGonagall likes __posh __chocolate__s__._'

John howled. 'At the least you've cheered me up.' His face slowly dropped though and he eventually let out a sigh. 'I guess there's two problems though and one of them is that I'm too afraid.'

'_What of?_'

'Other people and what they think, though I guess that's a bit of a silly thing to say to someone who is idolised for his scar.'

'_You're just jealous you don't have an awesome looking scar._'

'Too right.' He ran a hand through his hair.

'_It really bothers you, doesn't it?_'

'I'd say you're pushing it now, I'm not actually that fond of scars.'

Harry scowled at him. '_Your __other __problem, not lack of scar._'

'Aha, yeah.' He turned to face the fire. 'Of all the people I thought I'd tell this to, I didn't think it would be the Boy-Who-Lived.' He took in a deep breath. 'As great as Amy is, and I really don't want to hurt her, I've started to have feelings for someone else.'

He silently prepared for the question he knew was coming, therefore making him quite surprised to find a completely different one. '_Does she feel the same way?_'

'I don't think Amy has also fallen in love with them,' John said, only to grimace at the serious look Harry was giving him. 'No, I don't think they do.'

'_Why don't you ask?_'

'It's complicated, more than you could ever think.'

'_It's not Snape, is it?_'

John burst. 'You were just giving me dirty looks for joking around, but you're allowed to?' Harry nodded. 'No, it's not Snape, though it's nearly as bad.'

'_What's the wors__t__ that could happen?_'

'Well, the whole school could hate me and I'd spend my final year being laughed at and bullied.'

'_That does sound pretty bad, but I'm sure you're exaggerating. After all, even if it's a Slytherin, I'm __sure only most of the Gryffindors would hate you for it._'

'I'm afraid I'm not exaggerating.'

'_Well, __e__ither it's worth the risk or it isn't._'

'Way to point out the obvious.' He let out a sigh. 'I'm just not really sure it's worth the risk. I don't know and have no clue.'

'_The good news is you have just under a year to decide._'

'I guess you're right. Maybe waiting it out is the best idea.'

Harry shook his head. '_What good is a brain if you don't use it for making decisions?_'

'I'm not a Ravenclaw, in fact, as per my house, I'm not supposed to use my head, otherwise I wouldn't do any of the brave or courageous things expected of me! Same goes for you, I wouldn't be surprised if you're battling another bringer of doom before you graduate.'

'_According to Fred and George, their little brother Ron and I are destined to battle._'

Another snort. 'Man, I'm honestly not sure if those two are sane, but it's nice to have them around.'

'_I think so too._' It was while John read this that Harry stifled a yawn.

'Go to bed if you're tired, I'll be fine.'

'_Promise you won't stop thinking?_'

He chuckled. 'I promise. In fact, I'll even promise to decide by Monday, how's that?' Harry smiled in response, making his way to the stairs leading to the dorms.

* * *

Author Notes

For whatever reason, Harry isn't talking and no one knows why or when. His silent past makes him a bit more thoughtful and observant as well as making those who are a little more impulsive annoyed with first meeting him.

How will having to learn all magic wordless change him? Will Hermione really set him up with Susan? Who is John's crush? Why are Fred and George stockpiling potion ingredients?

Edit: amended at being reminded that Care of Magical creatures is for third years up and Hagrid only started teaching in Harry's third year – I'm a bit silly sometimes.

Tweak: added the accredited scene breaks and a dabble of time frames. It's a rolling tweak for first three chapters, so no one needs to worry about it.


	2. The Dork Lord

September rolled to an end and most of October with it. Harry found himself in a surprisingly good mood. Despite struggling, he was getting a bit more control and, much to Flitwick's joy, managed to get basic levitation working. He was still restricted to things not much heavier than a feather. A handful of other basic spells were also at his disposal.

Hermione had calmed down, giving him breathing room while she tried to find everything she could on wordless casting. He had thought about telling her that, at Dumbledore's written direction, he had bought the few key ones, but she was so enthusiastic that he couldn't. It may also have something to with her forgetting about the date she had been planning.

McGonagall had barely left him alone, constantly reminding him of how he excelled much like his father. He enjoyed hearing what he could about his father, but when it was restricted to only transfiguration, it grew slightly tiresome after the first month.

Quirrel, on the other hand, could barely remember his name. Even after a dozen reminders, the teacher would still forget and ask Harry to read out loud from a book. Snape, on the other hand, had no trouble remembering, though he kept any spite towards his potion work, more than happy to dock points for sub-par solutions.

On the subject of hatred, Malfoy (as they now only referenced each other by surnames) had been practising his taunts, often dismayed at the lack of a response his enemy showed – even with his most creative ones.

So it was that, on a quiet Sunday morning, he found himself sitting in the hospital ward, a long cut down his arm after a meeting. It wasn't that it was life-threatening, just quite annoying, like an unusually large paper-cut; that and Hermione practically dragged him up there.

'Now then, Mr Potter, let me see this wound,' the stern witch instructed after leaving her office with Hermione in tow. Reluctantly, he rolled up his robe, at least happy about Flitwick having fixed it. She tutted, adding, 'It's nothing serious, but better to be safe.' Her wand twirled and, with a tap, she said, 'Episkey,' healing it.

After running his hand over the sealed skin, he scrawled a thank-you note then made a beeline for the Great Hall, hoping he hadn't missed breakfast.

The Gryffindor table was more than a little subdued, taking their time to glare across the hall rather than eat. Well, most did, but a couple chose that eating was more important. Half-way through a piece of toast, Harry was interrupted by two of his favourite housemates.

'Harry, my boy,' George began.

'News of a certain altercation has spread fast.'

'And we wish to, shall we say, right the wrong.'

He tried to remain calm, but the manic look in their eye had him on edge. '_It's okay, really._'

'Why whatever do you mean?'

'An assault on a Gryffindor is not okay!'

Harry sighed, thinking carefully on how to word it. '_He doesn't bother me. I've had much, much __worse and I'll only worry when he learns __more __deadly spell__s__._'

They thought it over. 'You know, Fred...'

'It's risky, but could be great.'

George grinned back at his brother before turning to face the Slytherin table. 'Oi, Malfoy, Potter wants a word.'

A few onlookers struggled to hide their confused face, especially when Malfoy did come over, where he found no one looking at him. Slightly puzzled, he asked, 'What did you want Potter? To beg me for forgiveness?'

He looked smug, but it changed back when Harry acted like he wasn't there.

'Gone deaf too?'

Silence.

'I'll take that as an apology then.' Scowl on face, he went to go, but only managed a step when someone tapped him on his shoulder. When he turned back, the scene hadn't changed: a table full of people oblivious to his presence.

They persisted with the act, but upon leaving the hall Hermione broke down. 'Merlin he looked mad,' she said, a tear in her eye from the laughter she had been holding in.

Harry still looked fairly serious, though the suppressed smile gave it away. They took a break leaning against the window, taking in the scene.

Now sober, Hermione stated, 'I saw what you said to the twins.' He thought he knew what was coming. 'I... I just want you to know I'm here if or when you want to tell me.'

'_I do want to tell you, but I'm scared. It's something I want to forget and I'm happy now, I don't want to frighten you or make you treat me differently._'

She smiled with heavy eyes. 'That means a lot to me. I can't say for certain, but I doubt it'll scare me. Really, I've thought up hundreds of different things and I'm hoping it's not as bad as the worse ones.'

'_Even if I told you I was part of the Rotfang conspiracy?_'

Hermione snorted. 'The what?'

He shrugged. '_There was something in the Quibbler about it._'

'That piece of trash? Why were you reading it?'

'_Need to know if my position as the Rotfang's inside man is compromised._'

Gently, she slapped his back. 'Get serious now, this was a mature and adult conversation.'

'_But I'm not mature nor an adult!_'

* * *

'Come on Harry, cheer up a bit – we are heading to a party after all!'

'_You're the one who was kind enough to remind me that it's the anniversary of the death of my parents._'

She cooled. 'I didn't know, I've told you I'm sorry.'

'_And I've told you that you didn't kill them, so there's nothing to be sorry about. I'm afraid you're just going to have to live with an angsty friend tonight._'

'So just like everyday then?' She smirked at the dismissal he gave her. 'I'll meet you down there then, but don't stand me up or you'll regret it.' Satisfied with his gulp, Hermione slipped through the portrait hole out of the Gryffindor common room.

He ruffled his hair, thinking as he stared out the window at the shady landscape. After a few minutes contemplation, he sighed and trekked to the Great Hall. Looking around, he couldn't spot Hermione anywhere.

Frown set, he started asking around, stopping when he got a lead, one he was not pleased with.

'_Where did Hermione go after you made her cry?_'

Ron struggled to control himself, after all he had only told her the truth – it wasn't his fault she couldn't take it. However, he was slightly concerned about the look Harry was giving him. 'Back up the stairs, the main ones.'

Harry wasn't sure, but thought she'd probably head to the nearest toilets, which were the ones on the third-floor if he remembered correctly. Without a goodbye, he turned and left Ron standing there.

Seconds after he had ascended the first staircase, a distraught Quirrel practically fell into the Great Hall, screaming about a troll in the castle. Panic ensued as the teachers attempted to round up their sheep and get them back to their dorms.

Meanwhile, Harry had made his way to the third-floor, only to find himself unsure of how to proceed. Thinking it over, he decided the best thing to do was to knock and only enter if he didn't get a reply.

Luckily for him, Hermione got up and opened the door into the toilets after the second round of knocking. '_Hey._'

She smiled, though the tear marks were still there with red, puffy eyes too. 'You didn't have to come find me.'

'_Did too!_'

'I'm sorry, after dragging you there I wind up missing it myself.'

He patted her arm. '_It's okay, not your fault. I'm blaming the Dork Lord._'

'Ron?' He nodded, much to her amusement. 'Why is he now known as the Dork Lord?'

'_Not only is he a dork, his brothers have assured me he is to be a dark wizard __and__ that__'s why__ I'll have to battle __him__. I wasn't sure at first, __but__ it __looks like they're seers._'

Hermione broke, laughing herself hoarse. 'Even if you can't cast a spell, I'm sure you'll beat him without a problem.'

'_I'm thinking of using delicious snacks as a secret weapon to distract him – do you think it would work?_'

'Oh without a doubt. Maybe you could poison it too, that way you wouldn't even give him a chance.'

Harry had a grin on his face. '_Remind me not to annoy you. I quite like living now._'

Her heart stopped when she read that last word and he realised slightly too late he slipped up. Fortunately, or unfortunately, she didn't have time to probe. Loud thuds sounded and, at the end of the hallway, a mountain troll emerged.

Acting on instinct, he pulled both of them into the bathroom, hoping they hadn't been spotted. She went to speak, but he held a finger firmly on his lips and she caught on. Their breathing lightened as they silently listened.

The heavy footsteps neared, Harry moving them over to the cubicles. They heard a powerful sniff. He backed them into one, gently closing and bolting the door. First splintering then shattering wood and stone sounded, followed by more steps and a deep, brutish breathing.

He deeply wished they were somewhere else, his entire being centred upon it and that's when he felt like he was, and saw Hermione actually was, flickering. It was an odd feeling, as though he wasn't really there, but still was.

A tree-trunk sized club smashed downwards, resting barely above Harry's cowering head. Hermione struggled to keep calm, trying to think of anything she knew that could help. Harry had other ideas though, their flickering becoming faster.

It raised back up, preparing for another strike, but it never made the swing. 'Dumbledore!' she whispered, listening to the elderly man's chants on the other side. They became solid, Harry releasing a long held breath.

'Good evening children, I hope all is well?' His eyes twinkled behind the half-moon spectacles, which bizarrely matched his deep blue robes and hat with glittering stars on them.

'Yes sir,' Hermione managed before beginning to hyperventilate as the reality of their situation set in.

The headmaster simply smiled back before turning back to the stunned troll that had crashed into the far wall, breaking a few sinks and mirrors. 'I am sorry I could not arrive earlier, but I was in the basement.'

Harry tapped him and he bent down to accept the note. '_How did you know we were here?_'

'A fine question. As I'm sure Ms Granger can tell you, Hogwarts has wards in place to prevent apparition. When someone was trying very hard to get through them, I thought it was most likely connected to our friend here.'

'Apparition? But...' she trailed off, turning. 'Since when can you apparate, Harry?'

He shrugged. '_I was just focusing as hard as I could on not being here and it started __happening__. If I'd known it was pointless, I wouldn't have tried._'

'It is most lucky for us all that you did. I do hate having my students in mortal peril, you know.' He stepped back towards the troll, levitating it slightly off the ground and centring it. With careful movements, the rubble sprang to life, slotting back together as though nothing had happened. 'Now then, I believe Minerva is most worried and we should make haste to put her at ease.'

* * *

The next morning, Harry bit back the laughter that threatened him when Fang bowled over Hermione. Taking pity, he started scratching the hound behind his ear, easing him off the poor girl. She grumbled to herself, dusting away the dirt while Hagrid offered somewhat insincere apologies given his grin.

'Well, what can I do fer yer?' he merrily asked, teapot in hand.

Hermione politely took a cup. 'Oh nothing, it was just getting a bit stuffy in the castle and thought you'd like some visitors.'

'Always, always.' He arranged a half-dozen cupcake-like foods on a plate. 'Help yerselves to some rockcakes.'

She tried not to giggle when Harry passed over a note. '_More rock than cake._' Despite it, he leaned over and made a show of picking one up, carefully using a knife to carve bits off before crunching them. Hesitantly at first, she followed suit, surprised by just how tasty they were.

'They're really good, Hagrid,' she added, getting a booming response. Harry had shifted his attention to a newspaper on the table. 'Harry, is everything okay?'

He shook himself out of it. '_Just a bit strange that someone broke into Gringotts on the same day Hagrid and I were there._'

Frowning, she responded, 'Who could pull that off? I mean, they've even got dragons down there!'

Hagrid looked slightly uncomfortable, Harry shrugging. He went back to the article, stopping suddenly and writing a note for Hagrid. '_Wasn't __713 the vault you went into?_'

He coughed. 'Yer, that was the vault. Looks like we go' there jus' in time.'

'What was in there? Must've been very important if someone broke into Gringotts for it.'

'Look, it's none of yer business, it's between Professer Dumbledore and Mr Flamel.'

Hermione went to speak again, but Harry steadied her. '_Could you tell us about the thestrals? They look __so __beautiful in their own way._'

Hagrid, much happier with this conversation, started. 'Well, of cerse yer can only see 'em if you've seen someone die, makes people think they're dark creatures...' He continued talking, but Hermione had unconsciously tuned him out, drifting into her own thoughts.

They waved, setting off back to the castle. When Hagrid closed his heavy door, Hermione immediately began her questioning. 'Why did you stop me?'

'_He's my friend and I'm pretty sure he wasn't supposed to talk about it._' She blushed slightly. '_Besides, he gave us __enough__ – I think I know what it was._'

'What?' she said, mouth gaping.

He smiled back at her. '_I'll give you all you need, just need to find a certain pair of twins or their accomplice._' She followed him up to the tower that was home to the Gryffindors and watched the short conversation between Harry and another boy.

'Pleasure doing business with you,' Lee Jordan said, handing over a few shiny, wrapped chocolate frogs. Harry took them, splitting the pile between himself and Hermione as well as offering one to Lee. 'Well, if you insist,' he said before tearing it open, quickly getting a hand on the squirming amphibian.

'Not that I don't appreciate the gift,' Hermione began, 'I'm just not sure what the frogs have to do with what we were talking about.' Harry ignored her though, finishing off his own before gently sliding the card out of the wrapper, disappointed.

Lee sympathised with him. 'Want to sell it to me? Which is it?' Harry tilted the card so he could see, nearly causing him to feint. 'You're disappointed with a founder?' he exclaimed. After a nod from Harry, he offered, 'How about another ten frogs for Godric then?'

Many minutes of chomping later, Hermione dropped the final wrapper in the bin. 'Now will you tell me why I ate more chocolate today than in the rest of my life?' Her answer was in the form of a card. 'A Dumbledore card?' He nodded, pointing to the details. She quietly read it to herself. 'Nicolas Flamel?'

'_I got one on the train here, but there's more to it than that. Do you know why he's famous, other than his work with Dumbledore?_' She shook her head, causing him to slip her another card.

'The Philosopher's Stone...' she whispered.

He nodded. '_Sounds like the sort of thing someone would risk breaking into Gringotts for, doesn't it? Also why Dumbledore would look after it, since they know each other._'

'Then, the corridor on the third-floor, the one that's off-limits, that must be where he's keeping it!'

'_So, there's a priceless, one of a kind, immortality granting object at Hogwarts and a troll somehow managed to get in._'

The gears in her head turned. 'It was a distraction, so they could try and get the stone! But who?'

Harry shrugged. '_I have no idea, but it must be one of the teachers, don't you think?_'

'Well, someone could have sneaked onto the grounds. I mean, the Forbidden Forest only stops anyone because it's full of dark creatures and the headmaster would know if someone opened the gates to Hogsmeade.'

'_So you think they got in through the forest? Should we tell Dumbledore?_'

She mulled it over. 'I think we should. I mean, he probably already worked it out himself, but it's better to be safe, right?'

He nodded. '_I'm not sure where his office is though._'

'How about we ask McGonagall to take us to see him?'

'_Sounds good. She should know about the stone._'

* * *

Shortly thereafter, they found themselves escorted up to the peculiar room behind a gargoyle and a rotating set of stairs that were like a curved escalator. 'It's good to see you both again so soon,' the headmaster said, removing his glasses and putting them in his top pocket. 'What can I do for you?'

They looked between each other and nodded, Harry stepping forward and dropping his note. '_We believe you have the Philosopher's Stone. We believe the troll last night was a distraction so whoever broke into Gringotts could try to steal it again. I believe it is a __teacher and Hermione believe__s__someone__ snuck in through the Forbidden Forest. We wanted you to know, even though we __think__ you would have already thought of this, just to make sure._'

'A, shall we say, insightful message indeed.' The two were nervously looking at him, though Hermione looked to be thinking. 'Ms Granger, I am near-sighted before you ask.' She looked up, catching his twinkling eyes. 'I must say, I am impressed with the deductions you both have made, might I be correct in saying Hagrid gave you some help?'

Hermione shifted uncomfortably, watching as Harry started writing. '_No sir, I saw Nicolas Flamel's name when we picked up the package from Gringotts. On the Hogwarts Express, I got your __chocolate frog __card and Mr Flamel's among others. After the troll and finding out the vault it was in got broken into it, I put the pieces together._'

'How you stayed out of Ravenclaw, I am not sure. If I may, how did Ms Granger come into this?'

'_We bought a lot of chocolate frogs __earlier __so I could show her the two cards. She got it from that after I told her the __name on the __package._'

The headmaster thought it over, before asking, 'Ms Granger, do you agree with Mr Potter's account?'

She let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding. 'Yes sir.'

'Very well, let me put both your minds at ease then. I do know how the troll came to be in the castle and it was purely an accident through how it escaped. Professor Quirrel procured it to use for his seventh years, but it has since been deemed too risky. As for the Forbidden Forest, I have an agreement with the centaurs and so if anyone was to attempt to breach the school, I would shortly know. Was there anything else?'

'_How did the troll escape?_'

'It was to be kept under control using a mild sedation potion, however it seems we underestimated how much we needed, allowing it to gather enough strength to break through the restraints placed upon it.'

Harry was about to write something, but changed his mind. '_Thank you for your time sir._'

Dumbledore smiled. 'It is no problem, my door is always open. Well, that's not strictly true as you need a password, but I am always in the Great Hall come breakfast, lunch and dinner. Before you do leave, may I request you keep all this information to yourself?'

They nodded and he gave them a parting smile. Hastily, they left his office, enjoying the trip down the moving stairs.

* * *

'Do you see what I see?' Hermione quietly asked at dinner that evening.

Harry nodded, watching the potions master limp over to his place at the staff table while glaring at Quirrel. '_He would've been in charge of making the troll's potion too._'

'I wonder if the troll did that to him?'

'_Or maybe whatever is protecting the stone?_'

She gulped. 'We're gonna have to go see what's there, aren't we?'

He nodded.

* * *

Nightfall descended and the worn occupants had long since retired to rest, save one. As light as the footsteps were, Harry woke, keeping still with just his eyes open. Through the curtain, he could just make out a tall silhouette. One arm grew, until it emerged - elderly and draped in a familiar robe - through a gap, gently placing a package before disappearing.

He waited until the heavy silence settled before quietly sitting up, inspecting the parcel. Glad he could perform at least a little magic on demand, his wand's tip glowed, lighting his bed. He undid the plain, brown paper, revealing an elegant, folded silver cloak with a note.

"_Dear Harry,_

_This cloak belonged to your father, who graciously allowed me to research it before that fateful night and I have held onto it for you ever since. I hope you can make much use of it as I have found it indispensable in my travels and will sorely miss it now I must rely on lesser means."_

Mind racing, he lay the cloak across his bed. His hand gently stroked the velvet-like fabric, thinking about how his father had used it, his first physical connection to his parents. It was as he began to lift it that he noticed something odd: he could see through his hand and the cloak where the two met.

Risking it, he weakly slipped out of bed and pulled it over his shoulders, amazed as his body vanished from sight. Walking to the mirror, he found himself peering at a floating head. Even though it didn't cover his face, it quickly disappeared when he raised the hood. Moving slightly, there was no sign of him in the mirror at all.

Grinning, he thought about the fun he was going to have and how it would be easy to see what's guarding the stone. Resolving to thoroughly test it over the weekend, he carefully folded it, placing it in his trunk under other clothes.

* * *

Harry filled Hermione in on the strange event in the morning. '_I'll show you after breakfast._' She nodded, turning back to her plate while he did the same. Shortly thereafter, the great owl rush began, hundreds furiously flapping to individual children. Harry was surprised when he found a note dropped off by one of school's owls.

'_Secret Quidditch practice for you tonight. McGonagall has approved, but try to avoid Filch so we can get as much flying time as we can. Wood._'

Hermione, after reading it, commented, 'Looks like your present was just on time.' Harry smiled, agreeing. Once finished, they headed back up to the common room, which was nearly empty as most were still eating.

He went up the stairs to the dorms for the boys, Hermione taking a seat by the fireplace where she could look out the window. Luckily for him, none of the other first years were around, so he wore his cloak and descended.

Even though she knew what was coming, it still took some effort to not scream in fright as a finger poked her nose. Quietly, she vented, 'You could've just tapped me on the shoulder!'

If she could, she would have seem him shrug before dropping a note on her lap, it springing into colour a bit after leaving his hand. '_If I'm honest, I thought it would be funny to see your reaction. I was right._'

Vowing to get her own back, she stood up and went to the staircase for girls, smirking. He followed her, wondering why she was leading him there. She stopped inside her room, which was also empty of others.

Once again he reached out, tapping her on the nose, only this time she did scream. She stopped herself quickly enough, though she still looked slightly uneasy. 'Harry, that is you, isn't it?'

Confused, as he didn't know why she was asking, he lifted the hood up.

'How-how did you get up here?' He still looked just as puzzled. 'The stairs – they're charmed not to allow boys. When you stepped on them, they should have turned into a slide!'

After a few moments, he jotted his thoughts down. '_Either the charms aren't there any more or the cloak means it didn't notice me._'

'I don't think invisibility cloaks can bypass stuff like that.' Her head tilted. 'Maybe I'll go see if I can find some books on it in the library.'

Harry chuckled, thinking about how she always did that when she didn't know the answer. '_I'll finish off some homework and help you look afterwards. We'll go check up on the stone once we know about my cloak._'

'Sounds good. In the mean time, you will not use your cloak to sneak up here. You will definitely not use it to spy on us and if I even think you have used it to view things you shouldn't, then I will contract the twins to make sure you have a very painful next few years. Do I make myself clear?'

Her voice was cold enough that Harry had started shivering. He gulped before nodding.

'Good, now I'm off. You better not be here when I get back.' With that, she stood up and made her way out of the room. Harry took a minute to calm down before he too left, returning back to his own room and depositing the cloak. Parchment and quill in hand, he sat down beside his pile of books and started.

* * *

'Good of you to join us Potter,' the tall, lean boy that was known as Wood said. Harry smiled back, inspecting the rest of the team. The only two he knew were the twins, though the three girls looked familiar, having seen them at meals and around the common room. Each of them had their wands glowing, giving some light despite the lack of a sun.

'As seeker, you're not gonna be doing much, but if we are to win, you'll probably have to get the snitch.' Wood crouched down, fumbling around in a box. 'Bludgers will still be something for you to avoid. As good as the Weasleys are, they won't stop every one aimed at you.'

He pulled out a large, iron ball, struggling slightly even with both arms. The others present were amused by how wide Harry's eyes were.

'Don't worry, they're enchanted with cushioning charms. They still pack a punch, more than enough to break bones if they get a direct hit, but it shouldn't be fatal. Anyway, as long as you don't stop, you should have no problem avoiding them.'

'That's his polite way of saying you're a midget,' Fred helpfully added.

Still lacking his sense of humour, Harry chose to ignore the comment. Wood also did, dropping the bludger back into the trunk and taking out a much smaller ball, one that easily fitted into his hand.

'The snitch is what you're after. It's tiny, fast and has a habit of going invisible. Catching it nets us a hundred and fifty points, fifteen times as much as scoring with the quaffle, so when two teams are evenly matched, it's usually the snitch that makes the difference.'

Harry walked over, closely inspecting the delicate wings that sprouted out either side of Wood's fist. He unravelled his fingers, revealing the golden ball.

'Based on stats from Lee Jordan, he's the Quidditch commentator since last year, the average match was two hours and thirty-nine minutes long. In only one of the eight matches it wouldn't have mattered who caught the snitch. In the cup match, there was only a twenty-points difference when the snitch was caught, earning Slytherin the cup.' He looked quite upset remembering it.

George, getting bored, said, 'Blah blah, snitch is important, blah blah, now let's fly.'

'Seconded!' agreed his brother.

Wood looked rather annoyed, but the trio of girls fought their giggles. 'Fine, this is basic beater training with Potter as the sole target. The rest of us will watch and intervene with tips and suggestions when we think we need to.'

Harry cowered at the sight of the twins picking up their bats, menacingly twirling them. 'Don't worry Harry, we'll try not to break anything,' George said with a wink.

'I tried to talk McGonagall into getting you a new broom, but she started talking about budgets. So, we've got you on a school broom. It's not the best, but it'll have to do until we can get some funding.'

He nodded, picking up the broomstick and mounting it. After a countdown, Wood opened up another trunk, the animated and glowing bludgers leaping into the air with the twins right behind them. Harry kicked off, joining them in the air.

'When are you going to tell him the truth?'

Wood sighed. 'Angelina, I want to embarrass Slytherin. Imagine how pissed old Flint will be when his seeker gets beaten by a first year on a school broom.'

'You better not risk our victory on some half-brained revenge scheme,' she hotly replied.

'Look at him, he's a natural.' They followed Harry as he spun, narrowly dodging a broken nose. 'Some people were born to fly. Since Charlie left us high and dry last Christmas, I wasn't sure how we would replace him. There's no one else with even half the talent that's up there.'

'Reckon he'll be in shape for our match next weekend?' another girl asked.

He started counting on his fingers. 'We'll get him down again tomorrow night for snitch training – should be easy enough when it glows in the dark. Wednesday and Thursday morning we can get him some daytime practice in. The rest of us will spend some time everyday to put Slytherin off.'

'Just promise us you won't kill him if we lose.'

'I know, it's on my own head. You better not let me down though, girls.'

* * *

Author Notes

The plot begins! A decent memory and a bit of luck puts Harry on the right track quickly, though is Dumbledore as honest as he seems? Is Ron going to continue on the path of the Dork Lord? What other non-cannon bonuses does Harry's cloak have over normal ones? Why are the twins still stockpiling potion ingredients?

Speaking of the Dork Lord, I think I may have read that title in another fic, though unsure which. I doubt it was in regards to Ron, but I feel like I should credit it at the least. On another unstory note, while Nicolas Flamel doesn't have a card in canon, he really should.

Next chapter brings Quidditch, Fluffy and more. At the moment, I think the school year will take up a dozen or slightly more chapters with a few on some interesting developments over the summer. A slight edit has been made to first chapter – check AN for details. Until next time, beware the coming dorkness.

Tweak: As with the first, scene breaks and time scales, nothing serious nor Sirius.


	3. Get A Grip

Back on the ground, Harry looked around at his teammates, who were staring at him with glee, making him a little unnerved. '_Why do you all look insanely happy?_'

Wood stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. 'After that practice, we have no doubt you're bringing us victory this year.'

'_That's a lot of pressure. __I mean,__ I was struggling to not get hit up there._'

'Just trust us on this one, Harry, we've got every faith in you. Isn't that right, guys?'

The girls, as one, replied, 'Ahem.'

'And ladies?' he appended.

Harry watched the team nod and agree, helping him feel a little better.

'So, we'll see you back here tomorrow night for snitch training.'

Once everything was packed up, it was just the twins and Harry left making their way back to the tower where Gryffindors called home. A thought occurred to him along one of the many torch-lit corridors. '_Have you two seen what's in the third-floor corridor?_'

They shook their heads. 'We've tried to go a few times,' Fred began.

'But every time, we suddenly remembered something urgent we had to do.'

'So there's a compulsion charm around and we haven't cracked which one yet.'

'But once we do, it'll be worth it.'

His mind took it in, adding his own pieces to the puzzle.

* * *

'Morning Harry, late night?' John asked.

He finished his stretch before joining him by the fireplace. '_Yeah, had a bit of work I wanted to get done._'

'On a Saturday night? Would I be better off asking who rather than what it was?'

A slight blush at the insinuation, but he recovered quickly enough. '_I forgot I promised Hermione I would help her research something today and I'd rather __sleep past__ breakfast than make her angry. She has a "creative" mind when it comes to revenge._'

John's reply was a raised eyebrow at the ending. 'What are you two looking up?'

Harry winked. '_It's a secret._'

'Oh?'

'_I'll tell you what, I'll trade. You know what I want to know._'

He looked uncomfortable as he thought about it. 'You've made this much more serious, you know that?' Harry nodded. 'Two conditions and they're not up for debate. Firstly, tell me yours first and then I'll see if it's enough to make sure you don't share mine. I know it's very Slytherin of me, but I have to make sure. Secondly, I'm going to talk to them about it on the last day of school. You're not going to get involved, but feel free to try and convince me to do it sooner.'

Much to his relief, a smile was Harry's reply. '_I was__ g__i__ve__n__ an invisibility cloak that was my dad's. Not sure yet, but Hermione thinks it does a bit more than it should._'

'Your father's?' He slid into thoughts. 'As far as I know, they generally get worse with time. If it's that old, it should barely be more than just a cloak.'

Harry shrugged. '_It's still in perfect condition, I could not show you if you don't believe me._'

'I'm not sure if I should call it a quick wit when it takes you so long to write it down.' He chuckled at the glare he got, though it hastily melted into a grin. 'It's a little weak for a secret, but I guess if anything odd happens, I can blame you. Can I borrow your quill and parchment?'

He nodded, handing them over. A few seconds later, he got them back as well as a name.

'Just, don't lie to me. If this changes our friendship, tell me so I don't go around thinking the wrong things.' His voice hitched as he finally said, 'Please, whatever you decide, keep this between us.'

'"_Life __i__s too short for prejudice and too long for resent." __Something I read __and liked__._'

His smile returned. 'I feel like we should be clinking pitchers of Butterbeer right about now.'

* * *

Harry stalked through the castle, a slight detour on his way to the second round of secret training. He checked no one was coming before slipping down the dark corridor. There were a handful of doors on either side before the hallway finished in a dead end. He checked each door as he went, finding dusty classrooms, until the last on the left was locked.

Jostling the handle didn't work, cementing his thought. He pushed his ear against it, focusing on anything that might be in there. That's when he heard the deep breaths and there was definitely more than one thing breathing.

Not knowing how to continue, he returned to his journey to the Quidditch pitch. He was, once again, greeted by a group of glows. Before he knew it, he found himself hurtling through the air.

He loved it. He loved the wind whipping against him; the rush of adrenaline as he watches a blurry bludger narrowly slam passed; the pull, as he swerves, threatening to throw him off. That was all forgotten as he heard a loud crunch and was lurched into a crude spin, quickly dropping.

A few non-magical curses sounded below as most of the lights blinked out. His free fall slowed, an unnatural push upwards countering it. He could barely stand when his feet met ground, but he held the landing. Taking his wand out, it glowed, allowing the others to easily find him.

Surrounded, he took a last breath before dropping to the ground.

'Dammit Wood, what did I say about killing him?'

Wood flinched. 'He's still alive, isn't he?'

Harry pushed back, getting into a sitting position. The twins joined the group, sharing the angry stares directed at their captain, broken only when Harry passed up a note. '_I'm sorry I let you all down. I'll do better, if you let me._'

'I have to tell him, don't I?' They all nodded. Wood dropped down so he was crouching in front of Harry. 'Err, as you know, I wanted to keep you a secret. To make sure of that, I wanted to delay any training to right before the match and, well, make it a bit more intensive.'

He paused as two of the girls snorted, the other muttering, 'Just a bit.'

'I wasn't exactly lying yesterday when I said it was beater training yesterday. I may have not told you that we use special bludgers to train our beaters.' Wood waited while Harry jotted.

'_What do you mean "special bludgers"?_'

He grinned sheepishly. 'They have a few extra charms to make them fly a tiny bit faster.'

'Yeah, about twice as fast,' Fred commented.

Wood cringed. 'Uh, not quite that much, a noticeable amount though.'

'_Any particular reason why?_'

George took a peek. 'He's in league with the evil mastermind Ronald.'

'_I'm not sure you can be a mastermind without a brain._'

'He has a good point, Fred.'

'But you're Fred, I'm George!'

'Are you sure?'

'No, I'm Fred.'

'Didn't you just say you were George?'

'Didn't you just say I was Fred?'

'Huh, well I guess there isn't a problem.'

Wood whispered, 'So help me Merlin,' as the girls just took it in good humour.

Harry tried to use what subtle differences he had picked up to distinguish the two, but found it impossible in the slight wand-light.

'Anyway,' Wood said, 'I know I'm not in a position to, but I want a favour Potter. I want you to go out there on Saturday and fly circles around Slytherin's seeker. With a crappy broom, it'll be tough, but that's why I pushed you so hard.'

Silence descended as they awaited his reply. '_Well, let's go get another broom._' Wood smirked, clapping him on the back and going over to a barely visible shed before returning with a replacement.

Once in the air, a girl asked, 'You should've told him about the bet too.'

'I agree with Katie,' Angela added.

'You too Alicia?' She nodded. 'I don't want him to know in case we lose. Even though I know we're going to win, that doesn't mean I want him to feel even worse if something goes wrong. Anyway, don't you want to see his face when we hand over the winnings?'

* * *

Rather lethargically, Harry dropped beside Hermione and picked up a plate. After a piece of toast, he started the write-up of what he learnt last night. Hermione took a few minutes to process everything he had said. 'So, you think your cloak is resistant to magic?' He nodded. 'I guess there's one easy way to test it - you can just try to levitate it or use some other spell. As for that door, well, there's gotta be a spell for unlocking doors, don't you think?'

He nodded. '_Wood wants me to focus on Quidditch right now, but don't let that stop you. __Could always ask an older student if they know any._'

'Okay. I'm just a bit worried about what's behind that door, are you sure you didn't recognise it?'

Harry rolled his eyes. '_I don't remember __what __every __animal's breathing sounds like, but I can tell you it's probably not an owl._'

'Only a few other things it could be then.'

'_We are only popping in, so it shouldn't really be a problem._'

She tutted. 'It could be dangerous, even if we just looked at it before locking it back up.'

'_Or it could __just __be a giant three-headed dog who enjoys the taste of children._'

'Don't be silly, why would the headmaster allow one of those in the school?'

Harry shrugged. '_Why would he offer to look after something that someone, __who is __no doubt evil, __is after and__ keep it in a school full of kids?_'

'I, uh...' Hermione took a few minutes trying to think up a sensible offer, but nothing came to mind.

* * *

'Are you ready, Potter?' Wood asked.

Time had flown by and the last few days seemed closer to minutes than hours in Harry's mind. He nodded, gripping his broom tighter. The billowing announcement from Lee pulsed through the changing room. After a final nod between each other, they set into a line: Wood first, followed by the three chasers, then the two beaters and Harry last.

Emerging onto the pitch, he couldn't believe his eyes. He had seen the stands before, but there was something amazingly different about them now they were practically bursting at the seams from the bubbly crowd.

At first, he thought there were a lot more Gryffindors than Slytherins, but he quickly realised the other two houses were there cheering in red and gold. He pondered whether a select few people were there as he wasn't sure if Quidditch was their thing.

Beside them, the Slytherin team was also leading out. Despite being weary of their size, he was quite pleased at the look of shock and confusion on the team as, for the first time, they discovered who the secret seeker was.

He was aware of names being announced and the crowd responding, but the vicious heartbeats kept him on thoughts of flying. Hooch began talking, but he didn't care.

The whistled sounded.

A handful of seconds went passed and already he was as high as he dared. Looking down, he could make out the individual players and, more importantly, the blurs that were the bludgers. Wood had warned him that there was a good chance Flint would set the beaters on him, trying to take out the unknown.

That's why he grinned when he dived. The wind screeched passed as he picked up speed, doing his best to circle the pair of muscle-bound, bat-wielding beaters. It turns out Wood's prediction was spot on as one got pelted at him.

Compared to the bludgers he was used to, it was easy to slip to the side, making it look like a near-miss even though he could have put at least a metre between them. He found it odd that now, of all times, he thought about how much Hermione was going to scream at him after watching two or three hours of nearly being smacked in the face.

Then again, he was supposed to end this as soon as possible. Pulling up, he began the first of what would be countless courses across the pitch. He was, strangely, disappointed at how boring it was due to the twins doing well at keeping the bludgers firing at the Slytherins.

However, it did become interesting after an hour and a half, a few snitch sightings and countless, effortless dodges. At first it was a small humming and he thought that the broom might just want him to slow down a little, but it kept getting worse.

That's when he spotted the snitch not too far away, hovering above and between two stands - it was seemingly waiting for someone to notice it.

Deciding that it would be hard enough to get anyone's attention, he focused himself on the single goal. Almost as if it knew what was coming, the snitch began a long, descending arc. A final breath and the literally shaken Harry began his half-controlled hurtle towards the ground.

A few picked up on his dive, word hurriedly spreading. A smaller group commented on the peculiar flightpath.

He struggled to keep his arms firm, but so far his aim was true. The distance between the golden smear and him shrunk. A last-ditch attempt at freedom began with the snitch dropping till it skimmed the grass, but Harry kept close, staying slightly higher to make sure he didn't peg into the ground.

Somewhere behind him, Harry knew the Slytherin seeker was hastily gaining thanks to a much better broom than his own. This was it and he knew it. Another grin spread as the recklessness of what he was about to do settled in.

The whole stadium held their breath as they watched the young seeker dive off his broom, his right hand swiping at the air, his other arm stretching out protectively and cracking while he collided with the floor.

Everyone watched as he seemingly lifelessly rolled across the floor, tumbling like a rag-doll.

Lee, using his omnocular, zoomed in on Harry's hand. 'Potter has the snitch! Gryffindor three-hundred and sixty, Slytherin one-hundred and ninety, Gryffindor win!'

* * *

'Harry?' He opened his eyes and they immediately darted to his hand. Hermione tutted. 'Yes, you caught it.' His fingers uncurled and there it was, sitting there. 'Madam Pomfrey tried to remove it, but even when unconscious you're awfully stubborn, did you know that?'

He simply grinned and her stern look slowly faded.

'If I weren't so mad at you for scaring me more than half to death, I'd be proud enough to burst.' His eyes drifted to his other arm and she cringed. 'Do you know how gross it is to see bone sticking out of an arm, because now I do.'

His chuckles hurt, but he thought them worth it. Gently, he placed the snitch onto his stomach before making a show of writing in the air. Hermione caught on and brought out a quill and parchment from her bag.

'_Did I break anything when Wood hugged me?_'

She smirked. 'She isn't sure, but Madam Pomfrey thinks he could have broken a rib. Speaking of Wood, he was here until a little while ago when I think it was Alicia stopped by to get him, something about collecting their winnings.'

'_I wish I could have seen the Slytherins' face._'

'Lee stopped by with the team, he caught them all on his omnocular, so just ask him.' She shifted slightly, looking a bit nervous. 'Susan also came by, to check you were okay.'

He smiled, but noticed the subtle changes. '_I'm glad she did, but I'm more happy that my best friend is here with me now._'

The door to the infirmary swung open, revealing a beaming Gryffindor Quidditch team. 'Three cheers for the Boy-Who-Dived!'

Harry, and Hermione, winced at the nickname. '_It is better than the Boy-Who-Lived._' She held back the giggle that tried to escape.

'Now then Potter, we've got a little victory present for you and before you say you don't deserve or want one, too bad, because you're having it.'

'You earned it anyway, haven't seen someone go that far for the snitch in a while,' Katie added.

The twins, carrying a long, thin package between them, offered it to Harry in an overly dramatic fashion. He took it and slowly began undoing the paper, only stopping to wipe away a tear.

'Harry, are you crying?' Hermione asked.

He paused, picking up his writing utensils. '_It just reminds me of something, that's all._'

She wanted to push further, but held her tongue. The last layer unravelled, he lay the broomstick on his lap before running his good hand along it, stopping to inspect the golden etching near the end.

'_Thank you all so much, I love it. __Just having my own broom would have been great, but a Nimbus 2000!_' They had nothing else to say, opting to give a last smile and pat on the back before leaving him to his recovery. '_The first ever present I got, that's what it reminded me of._'

She read it, wondering. 'I thought you weren't raised in the wizarding world, so why did you get a broomstick?'

'_Not a broomstick, just a stick. It belonged to an old friend of mine. We would __get__ stick__s__ and pretend we were pirates or something having a sword fight. He found a really nice one and I would beg him to use it, but he never let me. Instead, he wrapped it up in some old newspapers and gave it to me for my seventh birthday._'

'He sounds like a good friend,' she sadly said, thinking of how much he had told her.

'_He was the best I could ever hope for._'

* * *

'Feeling better?'

Harry grinned back at John, taking a seat in the near-deserted common room, as dinner was just starting. He gently propped his new broom against the chair. '_Left arm is a bit stiff, hurts to take deep breaths, otherwise fine._'

John smiled. 'That's good to hear. I didn't think Pomfrey would let you out before Monday morning. A day for all that, it must be a record.'

He shrugged. '_I can be persuasive. Did have to promise never to do that again though._'

'If you want some other stupid and crazy stunt ideas, I could push back some of my potions homework?'

'_Gah, that hurt!_' Harry replied after a painful laugh.

'Sorry, couldn't help myself.'

He huffed. '_That would be more believable if you looked even a little remorseful._'

'What can I say? One of us has to at least say the right things. Anyway, where's Hermione? Didn't think she would leave you alone.'

'_I told her to go eat something or I would make sure I broke at least __twice as many__ bone__s__ in my next match._'

John casually gasped. 'You dastardly fiend!'

'_Again!_' He clutched his side.

'I'll try to keep serious,' he said with a smirk.

Harry shook his head. '_Of course you will._'

'That does remind me though, do you know Cormac, Daniel and Jamie, second years?' Harry nodded. 'I don't know what they're planning, but if I had to guess, it's revenge for you. It's happening tonight, but I don't know who or where.'

'_I'll talk to them after dinner, thanks._'

He gingerly stood up, picking up his gift and dropping it off in his room before a quick change and shower. With that done, he joined the hustle and bustle of the great hall. Hermione was eager to talk and, after only having a sip of his drink, the goblet clanked against the wood. '_Are you sure?_'

'Of course I am,' Hermione said, 'I saw him staring at you and chanting, it must have been him jinxing your broom.'

'_Why would Snape do that though?_'

She pouted. 'I'm not sure. I mean, he acts awful in potions, but he does that to most Gryffindors. He is the the head of Slytherin, so maybe he just wanted to make sure his team won?'

He shook his head. '_Wood said it has never happened before, so it must be more serious than that._' Harry looked up at the staff table. '_We did tell McGonagall that we knew about the stone, what if she or Dumbledore told Snape we knew about it?_'

'You think he tried to kill you because you know about the stone? Why would he do that?'

'_I'm not sure, but we can't leave it. Maybe we should actually ask him?_'

A strong blush sprung up after she snorted loudly, getting more than a few stares. 'Why wouldn't it be a good idea to go talk to someone who tried to kill you?'

'_You can wait outside and if he does kill me, you can go tell a teach__er,__o__r __tell__ the twins and they can avenge my death – I think that would be __a lot __more fun._'

'I don't think anyone deserves that, even if they did kill you.'

Silence descended while they finished off their meal and returned to the indisputably comfy common room. Harry kept an eye out for the trio that had been brought to his attention, but as time went on, they still hadn't entered after dinner. With curfew approaching, he started asking around.

'_Have you two seen Cormac, Daniel or Jamie? It's important._'

The twins looked between each other. 'Important, you say?' Harry nodded. 'We'll go ask, give us a minute.'

They disappeared up the stairs, leaving a confused Harry. True to their word, they scrambled down the stairs a minute later. 'They're waiting around near McGonagall's classroom, a couple of corridors towards the Great Hall.'

'_Thanks. __I'll wait until tomorrow then._' With that he went up into his dorm, wondering why they had stayed out of the common room since dinner. Armed with his cloak, he made his way back down and took up post beside the exit, waiting for a chance.

He didn't have to wait long and slipped out. Being late, the only people around were a handful of prefects who were easy enough to get passed given he was invisible.

Nearly where the twins said, he spotted one of the three boys mentioned, acting as a lookout he thought. Creeping around him, the two others were waiting a bit further up in a small alcove. 'He's coming,' Cormac whispered down to Jamie.

The two stepped out, third joining them. At the end of the hallway, a boy had rounded the corner and started walking down. He stopped when the three larger boys weren't too far ahead.

'Wh-what do you want?' he asked, Harry recognising the voice.

'No need to be scared, we just want to have a little talk,' Cormac said.

'About?'

Daniel answered, 'You know.'

The boy flinched, slinking backwards as the others stepped forwards. 'You can't outrun us and no one is around to hear you scream.'

Harry, using an alcove for cover, took off his cloak. The boy stared as Harry approached. He tapped Cormac on his shoulder. 'Potter! Did you want to join us?'

He shook his head, stepping passed them so he was between them and the boy.

'What are you doing? We're only here to teach him some manners.'

He shook his head, stretching his arms out in a protective gesture.

'Dammit Potter, we're doing this for you! He deserves it, he could've killed you!'

He shook his head, staring down Cormac until he flinched.

'Fine, see if we care.' He turned. 'Come on Silvers, Dawson.'

Harry dropped his arms once they made it passed the corner, giving his left a few rubs. Behind him, he heard the question he knew was coming, 'Why?'

'_I'm not that kind of person._'

When he looked up, Harry was gone.

Cloak back on, he was making his way back, slowly so he didn't run into any of them. Lost in thought, he only noticed the cat when it loudly mewed. Despite nearly dropping the cloak in fright, he managed to stay composed.

He stepped around it, but it sniffed and set itself back on his track. 'What is it Mrs Norris?' said the croaky voice of Filch. Making a decision, Harry set off at a run, hoping the cat wouldn't follow him, but he wasn't that lucky.

Not paying attention to where he was going, he found himself at a dead end, the cat still hot on his heels and the distant ramblings of Filch. Looking around, there were some doors. He grasped the nearest one, desperately hoping it was open.

A click and it opened. Inside, the stale air nearly made him wretch, but he held it back and silently closed the door. He pressed his ear against it. Mrs Norris purred on the other side and he heard Filch's footsteps.

'Come now Mrs Norris, I have to go check the second floor toilets.' Harry let out a long breath, Filch leaving with a hissing cat. Turning around to check the room he ended up in, he became aware that he wasn't alone.

* * *

'Wait, what? A giant, two-headed cat?' Harry nodded. 'I... don't know what to say.' Hermione could merely stare at the early morning reading material she had laid in front of her.

'_Seems I wasn't far off with my three-headed dog suggestion._'

Rather than comfort her, she seemed even more depressed by the reminder. 'At least it should be safe.' She would have gone on, but Harry stopped her, pointing to her side.

'Erm, hi.'

'What do you want?' she asked, annoyance in her voice.

He gulped, hastily saying, 'I wanted to apologise for what I said.'

Harry smiled while Hermione, still in shock, replied, 'Thank you.' A very embarrassed Ron took that as his cue to leave, going back over to the sofa where the other first-year boys he normally spent his time were. 'You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?'

'_I have a thought, but not sure. __He's quite a big fan of Quidditch._'

'You think he was just apologising to me so you would talk to him?'

'_Like I said, I'm not sure. He did seem like he __really __was sorry though, maybe someone else pointed out how stupid he was acting._'

Her eyes narrowed. 'Do you think he is going to act like he did again?'

He shrugged. '_He did what I asked him to do, so I'll talk to him. If he starts acting up, then I'll stop. Nothing more to it. Of course, if all he talks about is Quidditch, then..._'

'You could always get him to talk to Wood. From what everyone says, Quidditch is all he talks about as well.'

'_I'll thank you later if it works out. __In the mean time, how's Neville?_'

'I'm still helping him a lot, but I think his only problem is that he has no confidence. He's really into herbology though, keeps telling me about plants he grew before coming to Hogwarts. Also mentioned something about the Weasley twins asking him to grow some Asphodel.'

'_I'm not the only one worried, am I?_'

* * *

After some pushing from Hermione, they found an empty classroom in the afternoon. 'Wingardium leviosa!' The cloak followed her flick, shooting up before she lowered it back down. 'Well, maybe it only isn't affected by some spells?'

Harry thought it over. He picked it up and slung it over his shoulders, so just his head was visible.

'Want me to try again?' A nod then the hood came up. She repeated the incantation and movement, but nothing, as far as she could see, happened. 'Did it work?'

His head popped back into existence, shaking. '_Try a spell you can see, I'll stand in the same place._'

She nodded. 'Rictusempra!' The silver sliver of light darted across until it struck the other wall. 'Erm, did I miss?'

The hood dropped down, Harry's head floating a bit above where the charm had been.

'It... went through you?'

'_I think I quite like this cloak._'

* * *

Author Notes

A little more is revealed about Harry, but is everything as straightforward as it seems? Why did Ron suddenly apologise to Hermione? Will Snape kill Harry and suffer the wrath of the Weasley twins? How does a sentient hat know when it needs to sleep?

One thing that did bother me, in canon, was that a very expensive, top-of-the-range racing broom was bought for Harry. I'm also hoping no one minds my little poke at Dumbles nor my alteration of Fluffy.

Next up, Christmas rolls around, along with the Mirror of Erised, some more character building and a few important stepping stones for later on. Overall, it should be a busy chapter.

Tweak: The final of the scene break and time addition chapters, hurrah!


	4. Season's Greetings

The Gryffindor common room was much the same, but those inside were cheery as the Christmas holidays approached. Most students were going home, leaving about a third behind to celebrate at the castle.

Harry wondered what he would do with his time as Hermione told him she was going home. His classes weren't keeping him too busy and some friendly pushes had him getting most work done promptly. Of all the things he could do, getting in some casting practise would be the most helpful for him, but that wasn't something to spend a straight fortnight doing.

With a sigh, he gazed out the window. He was deeply familiar with the sight; it was calming and he liked the view better than any other around the castle or grounds. There were only a few people waiting for friends before going to breakfast and they chattered away about ideas for Christmas presents.

That was another thing on his mind. There was no doubt he would get her a book, but he had no idea which one. It didn't help that he wasn't sure which ones she already had or if there were any that she wanted. All he did know was that it had to be a book she would remember.

'Morning Harry,' she yawned, still a bit drowsy. 'Haven't kept you long, have I?'

He shook his head, standing up with a stretch. They clambered out, leisurely heading for breakfast, Hermione animatedly talking about some of the places her parents had taken her for Christmas over the years. The hall had little life, but plenty of food. After starting, a majestic snowy owl swooped down, stopping in front of the pair of them.

'Oh, isn't he beautiful!'

Harry chuckled as the owl stared at her. '_Hedwig is a girl and she has a __bit of a__ short temper. __She's also a bit grumpy since I haven't set __her off with __any letters yet._'

'Oops, I'm sorry Hedwig, you're a very pretty girl owl,' Hermione quickly said. Hedwig gave her what amounted to a warning glare before relenting and turning to the bacon in Harry's hand.

'S_orry I haven't been up __recently__, been a bit busy, __but__ I'll have lots of time over Christmas._'

Hermione watched him write it then hold it in front of the owl. 'Erm, are you writing to Hedwig?'

He looked at her, confused, and nodded. '_Why wouldn't I?_'

'I just didn't know owls could read.'

'_So, they're __clever__ enough to find nearly anyone __no matter __where they are, and you're surprised that they can read?_'

She was left nearly speechless. 'I guess I didn't think about it.'

Harry shook his head and shirked his shoulders. Turning back to his owl, he wrote another note. '_I'll have a few letters to send soon, __will that cheer you up__?_' She eagerly bobbed her head, hopping closer to Harry and getting a few strokes before flying off. '_I don't exactly have anyone to write to, so she doesn't get much of a chance to fly._'

'Poor girl. Are any of those letters for me?'

He tapped his nose. '_Could be._'

'You just said you don't have anyone to write to though, so it must be me.'

'You k_eep thinking that._'

She scowled. 'Harry James Potter, can you please just tell me?' A glint shone in her eye. 'Oh, I know. It wouldn't happen to be to a certain Hufflepuff, would it?'

'_I don't know who you're talking about._'

'So, if I were to suggest you were sending a letter to a Ms Bones over Christmas, I would be completely incorrect?' He nodded, though with a hint of red. 'Is it that you are, in fact, sending her something larger, perhaps chocolates?' He gulped, shaking his head.

'_I was going to send Neville, Dean and Seamus a Christmas card._'

She raised an eyebrow. 'Not Mr Weasley?'

'_Well, he's staying behind, so it would be a bit pointless to deliver it by owl. __Normally he and the twins would go home, but their parents are visiting his older brother in Romania._'

'Another one? They have four sons at Hogwarts and you're telling me there's even more of them?'

He chuckled. '_Bill is the oldest, Ginny is the youngest. That's all of them._'

Her head couldn't get around it. 'I don't know how anyone could cope with seven of them.'

'_Apparently she is "quite" strict –__ even the twins are afraid of making her angry__._'

Shouting from the Hufflepuff table stopped Hermione from replying.

'How could you?' screamed an angry Susan.

The other looked ready to cry. 'I didn't!'

'I only told you! If it wasn't you, how did that woman know?'

'Please, Susan, you have to believe me...'

'I don't have to do anything for you any more. Hannah, we are no longer friends.' She turned, stomping out of the hall, leaving Hannah standing with tears.

Harry noticed the looks he was getting from odd groups.

'Wonder what that was about,' Hermione said.

Someone slid a newspaper down the table. He took a look at the first paragraph and thought it would be better if she didn't know, but that wasn't going to happen.

'What kind of rubbish is this? We haven't even held hands and she says we're dating! And the cheek of her making up a date with Susan, no wonder she's upset! Then to say you're taking advantage of us, how dare she?'

Her ranting paused a moment and took in the pink tint Harry had.

'Something in here is true, isn't it?' He didn't respond, but the blush deepened. 'Susan was upset with Hannah...' She dropped to a whisper, weary of those listening in. 'You didn't just give her a galleon after tripping her.'

It wasn't a question, but he nodded anyway. '_We may have both had an ice-cream and talked for a while._'

'Why didn't you tell me? Don't you trust me?'

Harry knew this would take tact to end well. '_I do, but you were already talking about setting up a date. She was the first witch __or wizard__ my age __that__ I met and she seemed nice, there's nothing more to it._'

Her eyes narrowed and she carefully looked him over. 'Nope, there's a lot more to it. You're much too embarrassed over it.' He hesitated before nodding. 'So, what's the problem?'

'_I only see her in history and I don't know if she wants to be friends._'

'Well, you never know unless you ask. Now, I'll give you until our first lesson after the holidays, otherwise I'll just have to ask for you.'

He shook his head, chuckling. '_"Thanks," this wasn't awkward enough before you helped out._'

She smirked, pushing the paper aside. 'You're welcome. So, what should we do on my last day?'

* * *

'_Hey girl, ready for a letter to London?_' She scoffed at him. '_I only wanted to make sure you've eaten and had a drink __since it's a long journey__, no need to be snooty._' A gentle nibble was her apology. '_Could you take this letter to Flourish and Blotts, Diagon Alley? They should attach a reply, maybe a book too._' Hedwig bobbed her head. '_That's my girl, have a good flight._'

He slipped the note around her leg, waving goodbye as she happily soared into the sky. With nothing planned, he returned to the quiet common room, most people still enjoying breakfast, and took up his usual seat. Closing his eyes, wand poised and quill ready, he swirled his wand and mouthed the incantation. Opening, he smiled at the feather rising and falling in time with his arm. Mentally going over the exercises in one of the books, he held his arm steady, focusing on keeping his levitation still for as long as he could hold it.

Some people climbed into the room, but he didn't pay them any attention. They, however, did and walked over. A hand blurred across his sight, but he kept his mind on the task. They persisted for a good few minutes, until Harry gently lowered the quill back down.

'Took your time,' said George.

'_Thanks for the help __with my training__, it's way too easy when someone isn't trying to distract you._'

'Not a problem, it's the least we could do.'

'Onto us, we'll be needing a hand tonight.'

They grinned. 'We have an idea for getting past the charms.'

'Brewed up some forgetfulness potion.'

'So we'll be unable to think of something else we have to do.'

Harry couldn't hold in the laugh. '_That may be crazy enough to work._'

'If it isn't crazy, why do it?'

'My thoughts exactly.'

'Anyway, we were thinking of writing a note telling us.'

'But there's a chance we won't see it or bother to read it.'

'That's why we need you to tell us to go there.'

'We would've got Lee to do it.'

'But he's gone home for Christmas.'

'What do you say?'

'_If I told you I knew what was there, would you still want to go?_'

Fred scowled while George turned around in a sulk. 'It really would have been nice of you to tell us before we went through the effort of making the potion.'

'We wasted precious time arranging pranks to make it.'

'Well, we could always put it to our normal use.'

'Causing mayhem?'

'Is there any other normal use?'

'We don't cause mayhem with our toothbrushes.'

'Yet.'

'What were we talking about?'

They started tapping their feet in a rhythm, deep in thought. '_I was going to tell you there's a giant two headed cat __in a room __on the third__-floor._'

'Are you sure?'

'I think we would have remembered asking about that.'

'Some people aren't blessed with memories like ours, George.'

'But I'm Fred?'

'Are you serious?'

'Hardly ever, but aren't I George?'

Harry tuned them out, turning back to his exercises that had helped make him at least semi-competent on demand. This time, he opted for one to improve his control by shifting where he was levitating from. He raised the quill up in the air, holding it horizontally. Slowly, it tilted one way before tilting the other, rotating back and forth further each time until it was straight up. Carefully, he held it, shifting all his magic to hold it up from a small point, leaving the rest to hang beneath it.

Confident this would be it, he quickly shifted his focus to the other end. It quivered, his magic pulling slightly at the sides to keep it balanced above the point he was lifting. He felt a headache coming, but kept it up while lowering it to the table.

It still needed gentle coaxing to stay upright, but with the weight on the table, he easily managed. Last for the day was what he had been trying to do all week without success. Keeping the quill steady was left to his instincts while he focused on casting an extension to the levitation spell.

Taking a deep breath, he barely withdrew his wand, but to his delight a quiet scratch followed, the nib leaving a small, shaky line on the parchment. It was tiring, but the sense of achievement fuelled him on as he scrawled his first ever handless message, though all the letters were crudely joined.

'_Hello__-__World!_'

With the final dot, he released the charm, smiling and sweating. His breathing slowly calmed and all he could think about was how far he had come. He thought back to the article, to the books about him, about the Boy-Who-Lived. He thought it a title awarded for living, something most people managed to do a lot better than himself and for a lot longer too. He thought back to the stint in the infirmary, when he was the Boy-Who-Dived, a title he would much prefer to be called by. Then, he thought back to the present. It was true that all the others were more powerful than him, able to lift heavier things, but he put what little he had to its best and it was a warming thought that even if he couldn't be the best, he could be proud of what he had achieved. Not even the optimistic Flitwick had imagined he would be able to keep up and it made him try that much harder.

Realising he had his eyes closed, he opened them, taking in the world he could have only dreamed of when he was stuck in Privet Drive. Looking back down at the barely legible words, he appended, '_I did it!_' and sealed it in an envelope addressed to his best friend - his second ever friend.

Despite the sunshine, it was bitterly cold and he stopped by his trunk, dropping off the letter and taking out a faded jumper that had belonged to his cousin a few years ago, though it was still much too big despite them being the same age. He picked up his favourite quill and some fresh pieces of parchment as well before heading out to the grounds.

It continued to leave him breathless when he stepped out of the castle. Snow was something unfamiliar to him, having only had a few times to experience it when school had coincided with light snowfall and the rest of the time not being allowed to play in it. He knew it was childish, but jumped face first into the thick blanket, sinking into it before waving his arms and legs. Feeling the chill, he stood, admiring his work before casting a weak drying charm followed by a warming one.

He knocked on the massive door. As always, an excited hound bounded out, Harry's sharp reflexes and balance preventing him falling back into the snow. Hagrid was delighted as always, ushering him in and setting the teapot, chattering away about animals that liked the snow and colder weather.

Harry happily listened as Hagrid insisted the vicious sounding creatures were completely harmless. Taking his normal seat close to the window facing the Forbidden Forest, he took out a couple of pages of parchments and started tracing the outline of the landscape he could see. It was an idea that had come to him when he last stopped by, because the sight was perfect for a Christmas card.

He had been tempted to draw it from memory, but it wasn't a difficult trip and he enjoyed the large man's company, so it hadn't been a hard decision to make. An hour slipped by with an accompanying drink and discussion. With one copy done, he could make two others later on. Lunchtime was approaching, so he made a polite exit, promising to come down on Christmas day.

* * *

Christmas was only a day away and, for once, he was looking forward to it. He wasn't sure if it was the good food, the good people or the good decorations, but it was difficult to find anyone in the castle who wasn't being merry and festive, not including a certain potions professor.

A glint caught his eye.

Early moonlight trickled through an open window and splashed inside an open doorway. The golden frame sparkled, though the mirror itself was blank, a sheet of grey. He timidly walked in, drawn to it, lighting his wand.

Gazing at the blank reflection, he gasped when his own began to fade into existence, as though fog were clearing. It didn't stop there with two hands forming on his shoulders, their respective bodies sliding into focus. There was no doubt in his mind as to who they were when he caught the woman's brilliant emerald eyes and the man's mop of untamed jet-black hair, both matching his own.

'Mum,' he mouthed, tenderly stroking the glass surface, 'Dad.'

Three other young men gently appeared slightly behind his father. One was slightly taller, with short, brown hair and three rough scars across his face. Another was a little shorter and portly, his ragged mousy hair obscuring his face apart from a pair of pinprick-eyes and a rat-like nose. Lastly, there was one who looked like he could be a pirate with shaggy hair and a trim moustache and beard, all a matching light brown. They all had mischievous grins and Harry couldn't help but think of the trio as uncles.

This time people began to emerge either side of him. The first person was the young boy, Callum, he hadn't seen for years now and luckily didn't look like how Harry had last seen him. Hermione was next, giving that wicked smile she had when teasing him. Fred and George were next, one whistling while twirling a wand, the other holding a broomstick. The rest of the Quidditch team followed, the girls casually throwing the quaffle to each other, Wood smirking with a trophy in hand. Susan finished the group, her auburn hair tied back apart from a few loose strands that hung down, tickling the gentle smile he remembered from Diagon Alley.

He blinked and nearly everyone had changed. His body had gotten taller and filled out a bit, bringing him closer to his father's height. Either side of him with a friendly arm draped, Hermione and Susan had also shot up, Hermione now opting for a ponytail while Susan had her hair freely falling behind her, a flower clip keeping her fringe out of her eyes. The twins were now the tallest, though Wood was close.

Another blink. He had a good bit of height on the two girls now, though still had a bit more to go until he caught up with his father. The Quidditch team looked slightly cloudy, but were still recognisable.

Another blink. He finally had a bit of height on his father and some stubble too. Rather than having an arm over both girls, it was just Susan this time and they leant into each other. An outline of a person was beside Hermione and they held hands. Other people shaped blurs took up the foreground, covering most of Wood and Alicia. Katie now stood next to George and Angelina beside Fred, each pair kissing. Neville had also crept into the picture, his chubby figure replaced with a much sturdier one as he proudly stood next to one of the blurs.

He closed his eyes for a longer moment, wondering what was next.

Three children crowded around Susan and him, an older boy and twin girls. Beside him, Hermione had a bulging belly with her husband's hand resting on it and a little girl in her arms. Some of the other outlines of people had left, the remaining ones now looking like people. Neville was holding a toddler, his wife a baby. Fred and Angelina had a daughter, while George and Katie had a son, the pair of youngsters inheriting their fathers' grins.

His parents continued to stand behind him, each resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder, proudly smiling.

He blinked again. Hermione was no longer pregnant, a son and daughter standing in front of their parents. Neville's children had also grown into two boys standing protectively either side of a younger sister. Another son stood in front of Susan and him, the two sisters seemingly pulling him apart while his older brother watched on with amusement. Another blink and nothing changed.

Harry didn't have to think to know what he was seeing. Taking a blank sheet from his pocket, he sat cross-legged and lost himself in copying the image, going into painstakingly precise details and they all stood perfectly still for it. He wasn't sure how long it took, but eventually finished the drawing. As a final touch, he titled it "My Heart's Desire" before carefully folding it up and slipping it into his old school shirt's pocket.

Thinking it time to go, he struggled up, unsteady on pained legs. He was greeted by the crowd waving at him, warm smiles from all. Taking some time to get his legs back to normal, he wobbled over a bit and took a final look at the mirror and was unprepared for what he saw.

Callum and himself, aged about seven, were fiercely striking at each other with pieces of bamboo nearly as tall as themselves. He knew it wasn't a memory, but it was familiar nonetheless. He chuckled when his image-self fell over a rock, Callum making a point poked his face before offering a hand up, only to be pulled down himself. Too slow getting back up, Callum got himself prodded back before the play fight resumed, though with such rigour it was hard to tell they weren't trying to injure each other.

Some movement at the bottom caught his attention, dragging him to a group of adults watching, clapping and cheering them on. His parents made up half the group and the other half were who he assumed were Callum's parents. Slightly below them, two cakes, one chocolate and one a Victoria sponge, sat on a table with lit candles, seven per cake.

He smiled, watching the movie-like reflection fade until it looked like it was just an ordinary mirror, showing himself standing in the room, only now Hermione was beside him, flicking through a book on charms, looking as she had before leaving.

Finally, it faded back to the grey it had initially been. Turning to leave, he found himself standing in front of the headmaster.

'Good evening Mr Potter, I trust you are well?'

'_Yes, sir. How are you?_'

The elderly man smiled and Harry caught his twinkling eyes. 'Have you come here before, to see the Mirror or Erised?'

Harry felt a headache coming on, but ignored it. '_No, sir._'

'Please, you need not lie. It is not against the rules to investigate the castle unless the area has been stated as out-of-bounds. In those cases, we will usually apply charms to keep those who should not be there away, but they are not a problem for those with the right knowledge or protection.'

'_Honestly, sir, this is the first time I've seen it._'

The pressure in his head lifted, Dumbledore turning towards the mirror. 'I see.' He took a stride towards it, sadly looking upon it. 'As you no doubt noticed, it is not a normal mirror. If you were to guess, what do you think it shows a person?'

'_Their true desire._'

Dumbledore chuckled. 'Yes, I would say that describes it nicely. If I may, what did you see when you gazed into your soul?'

'_I saw what makes me happy._'

'Will you not indulge an old man's interest?'

He thought it over, but kept coming back to a single point. '_Hagrid told me you're my magical guardian. __My parents must have had close friends who could look after me, __so couldn't I live with them rather than the__ Dursley's?_'

'Are you not aware of the circumstances surrounding the untimely death of Lily and James?'

'_Their secret keeper and __good__ friend betrayed them to the Dark Lord, killing another one of their friends before being sentenced to Azkaban._'

He nodded. 'When one of the people closest to you betrays your trust, how are you to know none others would do as they did?'

'_I don't like that._'

An eyebrow raised. 'Oh? Why is that?'

'_It's lonely without friends._'

'That it is, my boy, that it is.'

Harry waited for more, but it didn't come. '_So, why can't I live with some of my parents' friends?_'

'On that fateful night, when the killing curse struck you and rebounded back upon Voldemort, you became the target of all his loyal followers. The powerful wards at your relatives' home are of great importance to your protection.'

_'__If they want to kill me, because his death was related to me, how did they find out? Did other people come with him?_'

Dumbledore cleared his throat. 'No, he was by himself. When Hagrid collected you from the ruins of your house, your parents' traitorous friend attempted to take you, however Hagrid stood strong and held onto you. In order to prevent the Death Eaters from gaining the upper hand, we informed the newspapers of what had undoubtedly transpired.'

'_So I have to be protected, because you told the world I killed the Dark Lord?_'

He looked a little uncomfortable, his normally grandfatherly face becoming more serious. 'In order to ensure the hasty closing of the war that tore our nation apart. By making Voldemort's followers aware of his downfall, it led to them giving up their campaigns of terror.'

'_Couldn't you have done that without telling them it was me?_'

'Are you suggesting I should have lied to the honourable British and international wizarding communities?'

Harry knew he was getting no where and certainly no closer to where he wanted to get. '_How do you think I survived the killing curse?_'

'Ah, a good question many have spent years discussing.' His features softened, a hint of a smile returning. 'Your mother, in her time here, was a good student, always studying hard and pushing her limits, doing as she was told. One of her favourite areas in her later years, where I often offered advice and suggestions, was in protective blood magic. It is my personal belief that she sacrificed her life to offer you protection from Voldemort.'

'_So then it was really her who killed him, not me?_'

The ghost of a smile vanished again. 'It was you who the curse rebounded off of, not your mother. His own curse struck him down, because he cast it on you. He fell from this earth due to you.'

'_Anyone could have done what I did though. What she did was special, she should be remembered for it, not me._'

'Don't you see, Harry? You're the hero the wizarding world worships, the Boy-Who-Lived, the only person known to ever survive the dreaded killing curse. I can think of nothing more special than defying death, especially at such a young age.'

Thinking, Harry could reply, but it seemed that no matter what he said, Dumbledore would bring it around in a circle, taking them right back to where they started. '_Could you not put up wards somewhere else? After all this time, haven't all the Death Eaters been caught?_'

'I am afraid that the wards upon your home are strong blood wards. They recharge when you spend time there and are the strongest known to the world, even more so than those at Hogwarts. Anywhere else would struggle to offer even a fraction of the safety that comes with your home.'

'_Why am I safe here then?_'

'It is because I am here, dear boy. Even if they were to get past the wards, a foe would be hard pressed to overcome my unparalleled skill and magical strength. After all, I did vanquish Grindelwald and successfully held back Voldemort for many years.'

A few ideas floated through. '_Couldn't I live with another strong wizard? They could always take me to safety if an attack happened._'

'Harry, do you not know what you are asking of me? You are asking me gamble your life, something I would never do. Do believe me when I say I have your best interests at heart and truly want you to be as happy as you can be, but life is based on compromises and I would never dare risk you dying an agonising death at the hands of those who wish you most severe harm.'

He hated it, but wrote it down to finish this quickly. '_Thank you, headmaster, for doing what is best for me._'

The kindly appearance returned, complete with that smile. 'I am glad you understand. Life flows so much smoother when everyone does their part for the greater good, don't you think?'

'_Yes sir. If it's okay, could I go to bed?_'

'Of course, of course. Hurry now Harry, curfew is fast approaching and we wouldn't want you to be exploring when you should not be.'

* * *

Presents sat at the end of his bed and he couldn't help but grin. Harry sat up, reaching over to pick up the first one which was the size of a small book and addressed from Hermione. It was perfectly wrapped with only a hint of Sellotape. Pulling it apart, he was greeted by a small notebook accompanied by a fountain pen. Opening it, a message was written on the first page.

'_Merry Christmas Harry! I hope you enjoy your present, you always looked uncomfortable writing on those loose bits of parchment on your hand, so my parents suggested a nice notebook. The pen was __my idea__ – the quills annoy me a lot and I can't __even __imagine how much worse it __must be__ for you. I stopped by Flo__urish__&__ Blotts before leaving and they even charmed it to last longer (they didn't want to say __how__, but I think they applied a shrinking charm to a large cartridge). Anyway, I know I ramble a bit, so, hope you have a good __Christmas__ and I'm looking forward to coming back._

'_L__ Hermione_'

He picked up the pen, finding it much more comfortable than the awkward quills he had gotten used to. Turning onto the next page, he wrote out a thank-you reply, being careful to use his best handwriting.

The next one was a book on transfiguration from McGonagall with his father's name on the contents page and little observations or tips on various pages. Her note told him it was the one he had used in his second year before losing it and was recently found in a disused classroom.

Hagrid's was an animated picture. A baby, who he assumed was himself, was held by Hagrid, his parents standing either side. The three of them were smiling, Lily occasionally turning to the baby and tickling its stomach, James nearly getting knocked over when Hagrid would clap him on the back. It was set in front of Hagrid's hut on a snowy day.

His final one turned out to not be a gift and was instead just a message.

'_I have a matter that needs to be discussed. See me in my classroom at eight this evening. Do not be late. If asked, it is a detention for an unsatisfactory assignment. Professor Snape._'

* * *

'Merry Christmas 'Arry! Come in, come in, I'll put tha kettle on.'

The usually plain hut had been decorated since his last visit, with a cramped pine tree pushing against the roof at one side, laden with coloured fruits attached via s-shaped fish hooks. Rather than the leather-like colour, the seats alternated between crimson with a gold trim and lime with a silver trim. Finally, there were lengths of what looked like poisonous and venomous snakes, given their vibrant colouring, hanging across the walls.

Harry thought it was unusual, but oddly fitting. A massive mug of steaming tea was soon in his hand and a plate of peculiarly shaped biscuits on the table.

'So, how did ye like the picture? Minerva took it on yer first Christmas when yer parents stopped by the school.'

'_It was perfect, I've never even seen a photo of them before._'

'Is that so?' His cheery mood drooped a bit. 'I'll tell ye what, for yer birthday, I'll talk to some of their friends and see what I can get. Didn't yer aunty have any, even of jus' yer mum?'

His head shook. '_She doesn't like my mum, I think it's because she was a witch._'

'Well, I'm sure all their old friends will 'ave plenty; shouldn't be a problem at all.'

'_Thanks, I can't wait._'

* * *

Author Notes

What does Snape want to talk about? Will Hermione like her present? Does James' book have anything of interest? Why won't Dumbledore be straight with Harry? Would Hedwig prefer a juicy mouse or a slice of succulent bacon?

I've switched to using lines rather than triples enters for changes of scene, hopefully making it obvious. On another hope, I hope the section focused on Harry and his thoughts made a nice change from the otherwise conversation driven story so far. I thought it was about time to help firmly establish his feelings on some areas and open him up a bit. Onto the mirror, I thought it more fitting for it to show Harry what he truly wants (future, past and present): a happy life surrounded by close friends and family, those he loves. I will also say that this mirror isn't omniscient and any future it shows is subject to speculation based on Harry's current memories, thoughts and feelings. As for Dumbles, I tried to make him convincing, but it was difficult with Harry set on getting an answer to the one question that has plagued his life. So, it's another hope that I haven't made him talk like an idiot and instead it's Harry's pinpointed questioning that raises doubts.

As for the next chapter: (what I think will be) a controversial discussion with Snape; the formal addition of Susan to the story; development of Hermione and her family; and, of course, the twins' planned prank.

Slight edit: I always think the bookstore at the alley is Florence rather than Flourish, along with my misuse of passed instead of past a couple of times, including previous chapters.


	5. Trust

The Christmas lunch weighed heavily upon the groaning wooden tables. Harry and the other Gryffindors piled food high with gravy soaking and cutlery slicing through. So focused on the food were they that it took Harry a while to notice that, despite the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables being similarly stocked of their remaining students, no Slytherins were present.

'_Anyone know where the Slytherins are?_' It was passed around, but no one knew until it happened upon the twins.

Ensuring no one was peaking, which was easy enough as most turned back to their lunch, they appended a line and returned the note. '_We're not sure, but it's almost as if they forgot._'

* * *

On the east coast of Brazil, seven in the morning local time, Hermione sat with her horde of books, dentist-approved treats and other presents. However, there was one missing.

'Dad, why do you have the video camera out?' she asked, eyeing her parents who stood by the door, each smug about something.

'I just wanted to catch this on tape; you may be thanking me for it one day.'

She was a little confused, a feeling she didn't like at all, but her mother stepped forwards and offered her a gift. 'Another one? For me?' They nodded. Tentatively, Hermione began tearing the rough bits, wondering why her parents were making such a big deal about this one. A letter dropped out, revealing a book she didn't know. She lifted it, inspecting the childish cover.

'It has been a while since I've seen a Roald Dahl book around,' her father commented.

'Why would someone get me a book for kids?'

Her mother shrugged before suggesting, 'Why don't you see who it's from?'

She opened the envelope, two pages inside. '_Dear Hermione, I hope you enjoy the book. Of all the times I've seen you reading, it __ha__s always __been __schoolbooks and __I__ thought you should try something a little more, well, fun. To make it easier for you, I went for the one good __muggle __book on witches I could find._

'_Merry Christmas and a happy New Year,_

'_Professor Snape, er, I mean, Harry (Potter.)_'

'Not to pry, but I fully agree. I think the last fiction you read was a fairy-tale when you were five, not including those silly tabloids of course.'

Hermione jumped, folding up the parchment, and scolded her. 'Mum! Some privacy, please.' She muttered about inconsiderate people while her mother giggled and backed away. Her attention turned to the other, shorter note.

It was not the first, but the second line that really got to her. She reread those three words, '_I did it!_' and couldn't help but lighten with them. Stray thoughts suggested she was jealous, that was he was taunting her and calling her weak, but she shoved them aside. Instead, she kept all thoughts on how proud he must be after all the work he put in paid off. She truly did wish it could have been her to manage it first, but she also truly wished the best for her first, real friend.

Even just thinking that brought on a smile. She thought it odd that, only now she had it, she realised how much she had wanted simple friendship for all those years. Her parents, as great as they were, were still parents and it seemed foolish to her to think that she had, so strongly, believed that they were better than any friend she could have had.

She knew she could never tease them like she did Harry, or order them about, or talk about something funny that had happened during the last lesson. Simply put, she just couldn't bring herself to act like an actual child around them.

But she could with Harry. It hadn't yet been a week and she missed him, which only worsened when she realised there was another week and a half until they would see each other again.

'Hermione?'

Her train of thought derailed, she stared around the room, focusing on her chuckling parents.

'Good, you're back with us. You must have quite a crush on poor little Harry to zone out like that.'

'Mum!' she exclaimed, outraged. 'I do not have a crush on him!'

'Oh? You've spent the last few minutes gazing into space with a smile on your face after reading a little love note from him.'

Hermione let out a, 'Humph!' crossing her arms and glaring at her mother. 'It is not a love note. He was simply telling me that he managed to do something he has been trying to do and I started thinking about Hogwarts and how much I miss being there.'

A sly smirk replied. 'Why are you blushing then?'

'I am not!' She held her hands to her cheeks, feeling the heat, feeding her embarrassment.

'Calm down you two. Should I go cook us up some pancakes or did we want an ice-cream on the beach for a healthy and nutritious breakfast?'

Hermione lowered her hands again, twirling her finger around a stray lock of hair. 'What kind of pancakes, daddy?'

'Special strawberry pancakes for my rosy-faced Princess.'

'Stop it, it's not funny!'

'Well, it is a little.'

'Father!' He grinned, switching the camera off and putting it back in its case.

Her mother giggled. 'You're in trouble,' she sang.

'Mother!' She shook her head, lowering it into her hands, smiling. 'I really wish you would both learn to behave.'

* * *

At Hogwarts, dinner had passed, with everyone present this time, and Harry's meeting with Snape was fast approaching. He had decided on arriving a little early, knowing the professor's preference for punctuality and suspecting he would still be docked points, even if it wasn't an actual detention or lesson.

'I'm surprised to find you early, Mr Potter. Wait outside until I call you in.' He limped passed the boy, without looking at him, before unlocking and entering the classroom. A minute later, he shouted from inside, 'You may enter.'

Snape was in his usual position behind his desk, though he was glancing at his desk rather than the doorway. He walked in, unsure of what to do, but Snape motioned to a chair. His gentle fears were only being worsened by the odd behaviour – it was almost civil, a vast change from the standard disdain he experienced.

They remained in a hesitant silence for what seemed like an eternity to the boy. 'I suppose you have been told you look just like your father.'

'_But with my __mum's__ eyes._'

The silence returned, Snape in a trance-like state.

'Through my own channels, I have become aware of a certain event including yourself, three other Gryffindors and one of my own. I wish to know your intentions behind it.'

'_I'm sorry, sir, but what do you mean?_'

Snape adjusted his position, facing Harry. 'Make no mistake, Mr Potter, I will be subjecting those three to excruciating scrutiny upon their return and you will not be rewarded for your foolish attempt at bravery. Nonetheless, I have a very confused snake on my hands and he is not taking it well. I simply wish to know why you acted as you did.'

'_I __saw a scared little boy surrounded by three older boys __who looked like they wanted to hurt him__. __I did what I thought was right __even__if i__t was__n't__ easy._'

'Are you sure you weren't being a petty hero, Boy-Who-Lived?' he said, the end laced with venom.

Harry shuddered. '_Please, sir, don't call me that._'

'Oh? Why not, Mr Potter?' Harry bit his lip, but didn't write anything. Snape held out, but conceded. 'Filius is one of few here who holds my respect. Tell me, what tricks have you been performing to impress him?'

His wand slipped out, along with a spare quill he kept. Snape barely showed the look of surprise as he watched Harry balance the feather before delicately pushing and pulling it upon a loose bit of parchment. The lettering had gotten neater though it was still barely a scrawl. '_I have been practising hard to keep up._'

'It is adequate I suppose, no doubt more control than the usual rabble around. Am I to assume Minerva was not exaggerating when she said you could mould a twig into a reasonable deer?' He nodded. 'What of Defence Against the Dark Arts? Professor Quirrel seems to mention no one but Draco, not that I blame him of course – Draco is easily surpassing his classmates.'

Using his hand rather than wand, Harry wrote. '_I'm finding it much harder than charms, but still trying my best._'

'Why do you think you are struggling?'

'_Me and Hermione__ think t__he spells __need more magic__ and I__'m not as __power__ful__ as the others._'

Snape raised a hand to his chin. 'Gryffindors thinking? I also find it odd someone so arrogant could express their own weakness without malice.'

'_Hermione suggested __the idea and __we tested it out by lifting the heaviest things we could – everyone who joined in __easily __beat me._'

'Yet you smile as you say it.'

He forced the smile down. '_It was a fun day and I don't mind that they __did__. __All my books and a couple of teachers have told me I'll always be weaker outside of __non-verbal __transfiguration than nearly everyone._'

'Some would be consumed by hate if they found out they would always be below their peers, Mr Potter.' Harry didn't answer. 'Your fame won't carry you at all if you're barely better than a squib. Do you honestly want to spend seven years being reminded how inferior you are?'

'_I could always become a potion master – as you said, there's no__t much__ silly wand waving __down __here._'

'A joke, Mr Potter?' Harry wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the merest hint of a momentary smile. 'I shall put it down to spending too much time with the Weasley twins, a problem I hope you will correct. Be warned I shan't be so lenient next time and dock twenty points rather than the five this time.'

'_My apologies, but potions, herbology, divination, ancient runes and a few others subjects don't __rely on__ incantations, so I'm sure I'll find something._'

Snape glanced down at what looked similar to a miniature cauldron with several tiny spoons, ladles and other potion-related utensils floating in it that formed the time. 'It seems your chatty nature has kept you beyond curfew. Best be quick back and try not to get caught as I would prefer not to have to be dragged out to verify.'

Taking the (blatant) hint, Harry nodded. Opening the door, he found himself face-to-face with the oldest Weasley at the school. Behind him, Snape sighed.

'Yes, he has been with me and I ask you to escort him back to his dormitory.'

'Of course, sir.' A slight bow of his head. 'Mr Potter, with me please.' The prefect's badge shone so brightly Harry wasn't sure whether or not Percy had charmed it to emit its own light. Percy, not one for wasting time, immediately set off at a fast pace.

One thing seemed strange to Harry though and he hastily noted it down before tapping Percy to get him to stop. '_The other three Weasleys were wearing their jumpers and I was wondering why you weren't, if it's not too personal._' After reading it, they had started walking again.

'Not that it is any of your business, but I put my image amongst my peers before a silly family tradition. It wouldn't do good for younger, more impressionable students like yourself to think that it is okay to cover or obscure the Hogwarts uniform – it is something to be worn with pride after all.'

* * *

The Hogwarts was still laden with snow. Harry, having nothing to do on New Year's Eve, had been planning on stopping by Hagrid's hut, but someone sitting beneath a tree caught his eye and he made a detour.

Susan was startled out of her thoughts when he tapped her knee. 'You scared me!' He smiled, a little sheepish.

'_Did you want to talk?_'

'A-About what? Don't you think people will get the wrong idea, seeing us, um, together after the, uh, article?'

He shrugged. '_What's on your mind?_'

'Hannah,' she groaned. 'I-I'm sorry about that. I know we agreed not to talk about it, but I really thought I could trust her and she's still telling me it wasn't her and I have no idea what to do.' She paused to sigh. 'What would you do?'

A quick warming charm and he sat down next to her. '_If I was a Slytherin, I would keep her at arm's length if she knew important secrets otherwise __completely ignore__ her __forever__. If I was a Gryffindor, I would go __demand __that Rita Skeeter told __me who told her__ about it and go from there. If I was a Ravenclaw, I would write out all the good and the bad __about Hannah __and see __how that goes__. If I was a Hufflepuff, I would be loyal enough to remain friends, though not trust her until she earns it back._'

Her head tilted, wondering. 'But what about you?'

He thought about his response. '_The sorting hat wanted to put me in Slytherin. It mentioned something about speaking Salazar's tongue __(found it a bit ironic)__ and kept going on about my great ambitions. After I refused – I had already met Draco and didn't want to even think about __spending more time__ with him - it started talking about my past, my loyalty, but I wanted to go to Ravenclaw. Eventually, we agreed __on__ Gryffindor, after it told me about my parents being in it._'

She read it, thinking about it for a few minutes. 'Why did you tell me that? Not that, erm, well, it's a bit personal, ya know?'

'_I trust __people who trust me and __being__ nice __helps too__. __Not sure if it did, but h__ope this helps with Hannah._'

Her mood lightened, a gentle smile breaching. 'I didn't really have you pegged as a Raven.'

'_Their prefects were __part of __the few who were __friendly__with__ me __on the train. Most thought I was ignoring them __and__ when I went to write a reply __they__ walked off, __some after__ insult__ing__ me._'

Pouting, she stated, 'That's not good.' He chuckled, prompting a further question. 'You're not upset about it, are you?'

He shook his head. '_I'm used to that sort of behaviour._'

'What? How did ya get used to it?'

A shrug. '_Years of practising._' She stared at him, unsure of how to proceed. '_I'd rather talk about something else, if you don't mind?_'

'Yeah, sure. Did you get any good presents?'

He smiled. '_Yup, this is Hermione's in fact._' When she looked up, he wiggled the pen and tapped the notebook.

'I was wondering why you were using muggle stuff. Could I give it a go?' He nodded, handing them over. '_Blah. Wow, this is way nicer to use than those stupid quills._' She stopped at the chuckling, blushing as she realised how close they were now he had moved to read while she wrote. Quick on her feet, she started writing again, hoping it would distract him. '_It feels a bit strange writing rather than talking, but it's nice that I can think more about what __I__say__ write._'

'_That extra time really is nice, keeps me out of all kinds of trouble._'

'_What kind of trouble?_'

'_Well, I've almost called Malfoy an idiot a few times before going for really muggle words, like numbskull, so he doesn't know I'm making fun of him and gets confused trying to work it out._' He waited for her giggling to die down before continuing. '_Also managed to not say anything too stupid to Hermione for a while __-__ that might be because she has me studying too much though._'

'_I didn't know Gryffindors could study?_'

'_That hurt!_' Overly dramatically, he swooned, sticking the landing even if it ended with him half-lying in the snow. Snickering, she pulled him back up. '_Hermione's got all the brains of a Ravenclaw along with the stubbornness of a Gryffindor. What's worse is she takes that as a compliment and gets me another book – I've only managed so far by pretending that Wood has me looking over Quidditch __books__._'

'_What's gonna happen when she finds out you've been lying to her?_'

He tapped his nose. '_Got myself a cunning plan that I think any Slytherin would be proud of. I'll be throwing other firsties in her way, getting her to "help" them out, so she has less time to focus on me._'

'_That won't work, will it?_'

'_Of course it will! So far Neville has been doing a wonderful job and he really needs the help more than me._' About to reply, she sneezed, sniffling a bit as well. '_Maybe it's time __for you __to go back to the cosy castle?_'

Hesitantly, she nodded, getting up and straightening her jacket. 'Thanks Harry, it was really great talking to you!' she half-shouted, jogging back. He waved until she disappeared inside. With more of a spring to his step, thanks to both the conversation and the knowledge Hermione wouldn't be forcing an awkward encounter, he knocked on Hagrid's door.

* * *

Outside, on the Quidditch pitch, the magical countdown continued, edging closer to zero. On the dot, the raucous cheer of, 'Happy New Year!' sounded, most of the older students opting for a chaste kiss amongst friends and those in relationships opting for kisses which were much less chaste.

In the background, a low whining started and, before anyone knew what was happening, ear-splitting screeching began and ended just as quickly, though now everyone was looking towards its origin. Tendrils of coloured mist spread across the sky, with glistening jewels dotted through it. Already several other lights were streaking across, but they were silent.

Dumbledore, with his voice magically magnified, informed them. 'Our entertainment this year is brought to you by Fred and George Weasley, who have taken an ancient Chinese muggle device and added a touch of magic.'

The show continued for a quarter of an hour, Harry wishing he had some way of recording it so he could share it with Hermione when she got back. When the last detonated, leaving "The End" hanging in the Gryffindor colours of scarlet with a golden border, the twins were pushed to the front and forced to graciously accept the applause from three-quarters of the school. Flitwick even stopped them before they could escape and they looked ready to die after being praised by a teacher.

By the time they managed to make it back, only a handful of students were still awake in the common room.

'_When did you two find the time to charm all of them?_'

'Oh, so you think you can ignore us for a few days and everything will be okay?'

'He can be awfully silly oh brother of mine.'

'Too right. Was he ignoring us though?'

'You know, I'm not sure.'

'I know what you mean.'

'Maybe he wasn't then?'

'Could be. We should answer him then.'

'What was the question?'

Harry, having already regretted asking at this time of night, though it was technically morning, showed them again.

'Oh, well, when our last project went out the window.'

'He suddenly had a lot of free time.'

'So, we got dad to send us some.'

'Quite a fan of muggle technology he is.'

'Indeed he is.'

'Then we set to work and it barely took a day.'

'Only needed silencing charms, some timed enlargements charms and a few other simple ones.'

'It's not about what you got.'

'But what you do with it.'

'As the vicar said to the nun.'

'If you know what I mean.'

He shook his head. '_I don't think I want to know._'

'Are you sure?'

'Don't worry brother, one day we will corrupt him.'

'Indeed, we would never forgive ourselves for not doing so.'

'Until next time.'

'Little Prongs!'

With that, they were gone and Harry was wondering if he would ever manage to talk to them and actually get an answer that wasn't sandwiched between random nonsense, though he did normally find it amusing when he wasn't so tired.

* * *

'Harry!'

He closed his book on Quidditch plays and turned to face the cheery witch. A book was clutched closely and it pleased him that it was her Christmas present. '_Tell me about your holiday?_'

With a grin, she took the seat beside him in front of the roaring fire to the side of the common room. 'Well, we went to Brazil. It was a little strange switching to such hot weather, I mean we could've spent all day sunbathing if we wanted to! Then the food, oh it was brilliant, my favourite...'

Her exhaustive recount continued on, Harry intently listening.

'Of course, the best bit was Christmas day. I got some books I really wanted, my aunty bought me a really nice necklace, I can show you later and, erm, well, I hate to admit it, since I still think it's for little kids, but I really enjoyed your present.'

'_Just e__njoyed? Are you __not__ re-reading it already? That must be a record, __even for you__!_'

She gave him a playful slap on the shoulder. 'Oi. Anyway, I see you're getting good use from mine?'

He nodded. '_I might have to look into an ink-removing charm or something to get this notebook to __last longer __though. Don't really want to have keep remembering to buy __more__ and I'm not sure how long it'll last__._'

'You should ask one of the prefects, they'll know if there's one.'

'_Good idea, I'll ask John next time I see him. Until then though._'

'Harry?' He started walking off to the other side of the common room and she followed him. 'Where're we going?'

Tapping the two girls, they both turned around. 'Um, can we help you?'

With a grin, he handed over a pre-prepared note for the two of them, and Hermione, to read. '_Don't you think Hermione would look nicer with her hair in a ponytail?_'

'Huh,' the one said. 'You know, he's right Lav.'

'_Go on, ask them to,_' he wrote, discretely passing it over to Hermione.

She nodded, timidly. 'Um, Lavendar, Parvati, could you, uh, try it out on me, if you haven't got anything else to do I mean?'

'Sure,' Parvati said. 'We've got an hour or two.'

'An... hour?' Hermione asked, suddenly overcome with an urge to run.

'Or two,' Lavendar chirped, taking one of Hermione's arms while Parvati got the other. 'You won't even recognise her when we're done, Harry!'

He chuckled, slipping a final note into her pocket before she was dragged away. '_I talked to Susan and thought it only fair that if you're going to force me to make __new __friends that I return the favour._'

Luckily, for her, it was half an hour later that she took in a calming breath and stepped back into the common room, finding herself being applauded by Harry. She rolled her eyes and walked over. 'At least some heads up would've been nice, ya know.'

'_But then you would've found some excuse and wouldn't have such a lovely hairstyle right now!_'

'Really? You like it? I mean, they put a lot of work in and everything, but I'm not sure if it's, well, me.'

He shook his head. '_It looks great, which is __perfectly __suited to someone great like you._'

'Oh stop it. Where do you even learn to talk like that?'

'_McGonagall said smooth-talking __is__ in the Potter genes. At least, I think she said that. It may have been troublemaking, but I haven't done much of that yet._'

An eyebrow raised. 'Yet?' He gave her a wink. 'Oh Mr Potter, what are we going to do with you?'

'_Give me a break __after__ all the hard work I did over Christmas?_'

'But then you might get sloppy! If anything, now I know how good you are, I'll just have to get you to put in some more time. After all, if that's what you can do in a week without me, imagine what you could do after a week with me!'

He gulped. '_It's not too late to say I lied about managing it, is it?_'

She tutted. 'I expected better than this, Mr Potter. One does not improve from lack of work.'

'_Could I __try and __improve my talent for sleeping __then__?_'

'Now, now, you need to behave and pick up the slack. If you have read all the books I have kindly suggested to you, I'm sure I have a few further suggestions to make.'

'_I'll get right on it after I finish this book on Quidditch plays Wood has me reading. He's insisting that, __even if__our next match is__only in __March, it doesn't mean I __have to ignore it__._'

Scowling, she glared at the offending person. 'Honestly, why he has to work you so hard is beyond me – when does he expect you to do homework?'

'_Don't worry, I'm sure once lessons start he'll ease up, at least until it gets closer._'

'Oh he better! Now, if scraps of paper are to be believed, spill.'

'_I ran into her on the way to Hagrid's and we had a little chat. Yes, that is all – I would have asked if she could do up my hair, but I can't even get a comb through it and I don't think magic would help._'

She swatted him again. 'I wish you could stay serious for longer than a sentence.'

'_Too much time __around__ the twins – I even made a joke talking to Snape._'

'Snape? What were you doing talking to him?'

'_I got a "__request"__for__ a meeting __from/with him__. Two odd things: Snape wasn't being his normal arse'ish self; his __one __leg was badly hurt._'

Thinking it over, there was only one solution that made the least bit of sense to her. 'He must know we know he's trying to get the stone! Being nice to you is his way of making sure we don't think it was his fault with the troll and throw us off the scent. Not to mention he could've gotten the bad leg trying to get passed the cat.'

'_That's all well and good, but he could have been acting __less evil__ because of th__at__ Zabini issue. Also, if we're going to get anyone to take anything seriously, we need a bit more proof than a limp and __not __being __as__ grouchy on Christmas day._'

'Well, when you put it like that... What proof could we get though?'

'_If we had an omnocular like Lee, then we could record him going into the room. Shame it can't get sound too, then we could get him saying something, __which would probably be easier__. Know anything we could use?_'

Drifting back to her holiday, she sighed. 'I could have just borrowed my dad's video camera if magic didn't mess with electrical things. If we could get hold of a penseive, then you can just drop memories into it and they have sound as well, but they're quite rare. Wizard camera's aren't easy to get, at least I didn't see any at Diagon Alley and I don't know if anyone has one here, not to mention they take something more like photos than movies.'

'_Then t__here's nothing to do but nicely ask Lee if we can borrow it between matches. If we think of something better, then great, otherwise it __should be enough. There's nothing to worry about anyway since I doubt anything could get passed that animal._'

'One little thing is nagging me though. I mean, he's arrogant, but not stupid, so isn't he going to spot that he's being followed?'

He winked. '_Can't spot what you __can't__see_.'

'Oh, right. Ignore me, I've had a long day.'

'_So when you say stupid things it's because you've had a long day, but when I do, it's because I haven't studied enough?_'

'Exactly.' Before he could even think of replying, she bounced up to her feet and sped towards the staircase to the girls' dorms. Resigned to his defeat, he went back to finishing off the chapter he was on before retiring to bed as well, even if it was a little early for a Saturday night.

* * *

Author Notes

Will Hannah and Susan make up? How will stalking Snape pan out for the duo? Is an omnocular valid evidence a wizarding court? Does Harry have a secret eye for fashion? What hidden powers does Hermione's new hairstyle give her?

So, there's a lot to go wrong here (from my point of view as the author). Opening up Hermione's character, I struggled to choose between jealousy and acceptance, but the more I thought about it, it kept coming back to how lonely Hermione must have been and all of a sudden it wasn't so difficult. Next up on the possible disasters is Snapey. While I know his attitude is a bit odd and almost caring in a twisted way, it's seated in Snape accepting that Harry isn't big headed and is opposed to bullying. Finally, I'm not sure if my Susan was at all believable. Honestly, I have no idea how eleven year old girls think - well, most girls across all ages since I'm being honest – but I did put a decent bit of thought into the scene.

Onto pairings, I don't have any plans set in stone at the moment, but I do know that there won't be any holding hands, kissing or any of that sort until at least their third year. As far as the Susan-Harry relationship goes, it's just a case of a starstruck girl and an, as usual, oblivious-to-his-own-feelings Harry.

As for other future matters in the next chapter, I'm thinking Quidditch, Harry discovering a bit more of the past and a sprinkling of Malfoy.


	6. Losing Authority

'_I can't believe how much he's pushing us – it's still a month away!_'

Katie pulled off her jersey. 'Well, you can't blame him really – there's no way Snape's not gonna mess with us now that he's the referee for the match. Only chance we have is to finish it quickly, before he gives them enough of a lead for the snitch not to matter.'

'_That doesn't mean I enjoy getting up so early to literally fly through hoops._' He rubbed his forehead.

'Oh, come on, you loved testing out your new broom right up until you smacked a ring. Bloody hilarious too.'

'_Easy for you to say._'

She chuckled. 'Pomfrey will have something if it's bad. Later!' Slinging the bag on her back, she strolled out, leaving Harry alone. He continued wiping off the remnants of mud from the broom, adding a bit of polish once it was done. While magic could clean clothing, he hadn't been taught it yet and so went into the changing room. The parchment he kept close to his heart unfolded and he ran a finger over those five faces from his past. "Lily Evans," "James Potter," "Peter Pettigrew," "Sirius Black," but there was no label above the last. Harry had looked, but there was no mention of him in the books detailing that night his parents were murdered nor in the books that also had sections on their life. For Harry, it was like he hadn't existed or had been erased from the past, but not from the mirror.

Walking back from training, he trudged down a corridor lined with photos of the previous students of Hogwarts. He had seen them before, being on the quickest route from transfiguration to the Great Hall, but hadn't really paid attention. With his thoughts on that unknown man, something clicked. He tried to remember the year his parents graduated, but all he could was that it was the seventies. Scanning through them, he locked onto his mother's auburn hair, finding those emerald eyes as well as an arm around her waist belonging to his father. On his father's other side, the three of them stood: Sirius, the unknown man and Peter. There weren't any names here, but he thought that there must be lists somewhere that held them. Finally, he had a lead and he knew that the man existed.

Straight to the library and he found a tome of graduates easily enough with help from Madam Pince. Flipping through to seventy-eight, he found the Gryffindors from that year. Under the boys, the three he knew were there along with two others. Another useful bit of information was that Minerva McGonagall was the head of Gryffindor back then as well and that gave him someone he could hopefully get an answer from.

Luckily for him, she was in her classroom, grading homework. 'Come in,' she said after his knock. 'Ah, Mr Potter, what can I do for you? Have you found something interesting in your father's book?'

He shook his head. '_I was hoping you could tell me the third person my dad was friends with at school. I already know Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew._'

'His name is Remus Lupin.' She hesitated. 'They grew apart after school and, by the time you were born, he had moved abroad. Since then, no one has had contact with him. I'm guessing you wanted to meet him to learn a bit more about your father?' Harry nodded and she relaxed, leaning back in her chair. 'Well, I'm sure I don't know even a quarter of what they got up, but would you like to hear some of what I do?'

'_Not right now, but maybe some other time?_'

* * *

'Morning Hedwig,' Susan said, handing over a piece of bacon. The owl took it graciously, offering her leg. 'Now, let's see what Mr Potter has for us today.'

'_Hey Su; Hermione, Neville and I are going to study for Flitwick's charms test after breakfast if you want to join us – we'll be in the library. Harry._'

'You know, he's sent you an awful lot of owls since Christmas.'

Susan turned, scowling. 'I'm lucky he'd even talk to me after what you did.'

'But I-'

'Ladies, please, not that again,' an older boy said.

Embarrassed, they replied, 'Yes Cedric.'

'Thanks,' he added before going back to his conversation.

'I wonder if your invite has anything to do with yesterday?'

She finished attaching the note, '_See you there,_' to Hedwig. 'What do you mean "yesterday"?'

'Valentine's Day.'

After a snort, Susan replied, 'It's a bit of studying and Hermione and Neville will be there too. Besides, I'd like it if you didn't stick your nose into my business – don't think I haven't noticed you read my letters,' she switched to sterner tone, 'without my permission.'

'You didn't used to mind.'

'I didn't have to worry about losing my secrets and, before you say anything else, I want a nice breakfast, so don't.'

Flustered, Hannah stood up. 'You know what? I don't care anymore! I'm sick and tired of being blamed for something I didn't do! From now on, just don't even look at me.'

She stormed off, leaving a shocked Hufflepuff table. Susan eventually recovered enough to push aside her plate and quietly leave, heading to the library. It was only her at first, but the trio of Gryffindors shortly joined.

'Hey guys,' she dejectedly said, managing a faux smile.

They smiled back, though Hermione was edging away slightly with Neville before pushing Harry forwards. Taking the unsubtle hint, he sat down beside Susan while the other pair took to a nearby table, dragging out some books.

'To think people told me Gryffindors have no tact,' she sarcastically said. 'Have those recorders come in handy?'

'_Did you want to talk about it__?_'

'Talk about what?' He raised an eyebrow and she eventually let out a sigh. 'Hannah again. She's still saying she didn't tell anyone. If she just admitted it, then I'd get over it, but now I'm beginning to wonder if I was wrong. The problem is, if only me and you knew and I told Hannah and you didn't tell anyone, how'd that Skeeter woman find out?'

Thinking it over, he jotted down his thoughts. '_Both Hagrid and your aunt were there, so she could have got it from them. Just because no one recognised me when I went there, doesn't mean they didn't realise later. S__omeone__ could've __overheard__you __two talking about it or even take it from one of our minds._'

'If they had seen us, they would have said something ages ago, wouldn't they?'

'_Probably. Dunno about your aunt, but I doubt Skeeter would've talked to Hagrid unless she had something to go on or another story to check up on._'

'Aunt Amelia hates her. As head of the DMLE, she has to deal with reporters and Skeeter is her worst. I told Hannah by the lake early December, so I would've seen anyone trying to listen in. If she stole a memory, then she'll be in trouble with the aurors and probably get a few years in Azkaban prison.'

He fell into thought for a minute. '_Maybe we need to be more __like the __Gryffindor __I told you about__._'

Susan was confused at first, but she remembered their second conversation. 'I don't think she'd answer us if we asked her.'

He tapped his nose. '_That's why we're going to __mix in a bit of__ Slytherin. We'll pretend Hannah sent the letter and tell her there's another story, but this time she wants double the payment as last time. If it was Hannah, we should get a reply telling us to piss off for asking for more __money__. If it wasn't Hannah, then it'll probably be her asking for more details and being a bit confused about the last payment._'

'Mr Potter, I am worried about how you learnt to be so sneaky. However, I think I can let it slide.' He reciprocated her grin and started on a draft for the letter.

* * *

After dinner and a look over his father's old book, Harry and Hermione had been returning to Gryffindor tower.

'Well, well, look what the kneazle dragged in,' drawled Malfoy as he stepped out of an niche, followed by Crabbe and Goyle from nearby ones.

Harry fidgeted with his pocket before withdrawing his small notebook. He quickly wrote on it and angled it to Hermione. The first was a short message to her. '_Please read out what I write for Malfoy. If it comes to it, run and get a teacher._'

'He wants to know what you want as we just wants to go to our common room.'

'I see you've finally figured out mudbloods are only good for doing what you tell them to.'

Hermione visibly tensed at the slight, Harry himself refraining from acting rashly. Instead, he started focusing on taking into account the area. Unlike most, this corridor had a long rug on it and a lack of paintings. Like most, it had several small alcoves with suits of armour standing, gripping various distinctively muggle weapons. The walls were of the typical smooth rock and no one else was there apart from the five of them.

'He has asked me, his good friend, to read out what he writes since you hate muggle items and his notebook is a muggle notebook. He has also asked me to ask you to apologise for using an offensive word that is against the school rules to use.'

Malfoy spat on the ground. 'I would rather die than apologise to the likes of you.'

'He wants to confirm that you, Draco Malfoy, are refusing to apologise for using an offensive word, breaking Hogwarts rules.'

'So what if I am? Gonna tattle on me again?'

'He points out that you didn't answer his question.'

'Fine. Yes, I called Granger a mudblood and if you tell a teacher I'll tell them you're lying since you can't prove that I did.'

'He thanks you for answering his question and asks if we are finished here.'

Malfoy sneered at the pair, beckoning Crabbe and Goyle behind to his side. 'We are far from finished here. It just so occurred to me that we're alone in a quiet part of the castle. Not only that, but I learnt a new spell today and I do know how much you both enjoy learning, so I considerately thought you may want to see it.'

'He wants to remind you that spells should not be cast in the corridors. Also, he only wishes to learn new spells from capable adults or older students.'

'Oh? Are you sure? It's a great one that gives you a little cut. If I were to repeatedly cast it on your knees, it would look like your tripped over and got a little graze.'

'He has asked why you want to do this.'

Malfoy's smirk changed to an expression of glee. 'Why, to make your broken noses all the more believable when you turn up in the hospital wing after a,' he paused, switching to the most threatening tone he could manage, 'trip.'

Beside him, Harry felt Hermione shaking slightly as she instinctively leaned closer to him. 'He, Harry Potter, has asked whether or not you will injure both him and Hermione Granger. Also, he asks why you will and how you will avoid the consequences of the attack.'

'Yes, yes, I fully intend to hurt you both. The why is that I need to remind you both where you belong, under us Purebloods. The how is that no one will believe you since I'm currently in a personal tutoring session with Professor Snape and I can't be in two places at once now, can I?'

There was a tentative silence and Harry thought fast. He was vaguely aware that Malfoy seemed to be waiting for him to make some move of recognition first or something equally arrogant.

'Harry Potter would now like to state for the record that he will be making a daring escape. His main aim will be to see that Hermione Granger comes to no harm. To do this, he is requesting that Hermione Granger runs while Draco Malfoy takes a few moments to realise what is happening, giving Harry Potter time to create a distraction and hopefully let both of them escape safely.'

Separate from the rest of the text, '_Run!_'

She turned on her heel, setting off at a fast pace and even going as far as to drop her heavy book-bag on the floor. Malfoy took a bit to start working, but he did, withdrawing his wand and aiming it at the shrinking figure.

Harry had other ideas though and focused on a tiny fraction of the rug in front of Malfoy before casting the levitation spell. It wasn't much of a pull, but it put Malfoy off balance and a second jerk sent him reeling backwards.

His two goons made up for intellectual slowness with their reflexes, each grabbing one of Malfoy's arms to prevent him falling. Harry had whipped his head around, relieved as he watched Hermione turn right at the junction. His body turned as well and he started running, turning his attention to the only help he could get by toppling a few suits on his way back.

Going left, he made sure that his pursuers knew which way he went before going on and waiting at the nearest corner. As he hoped, they had their sights set on him, so Hermione would be safe. He thought back to the few teacher's offices he knew and vaguely recalled seeing a nearby one belonging to Professor Vector.

'Potter!' a snarled shout sounded some way behind him. He took no heed and continued to where he thought her office was, having to slow slightly to read the various random phrases that constituted room names.

However, this pace had the unwanted effect of having the trio catchup with him. What made the situation worse was the sudden emergence of a group of Hufflepuff first years when he heard Malfoy shout, 'Diffindo!'

The unsuspecting Hufflepuffs cried in fear, Harry swiftly swivelling, the wide, turquoise beam speeding towards him. His mind screamed, 'Protect them!' Reluctantly, his body listened and he spread his arms wide, his wand dropping to the floor, lowering himself slightly in line with the curse. He braced himself, feeling the light sharply turn into a thin blade, cutting a groove across his width.

Barely aware, he dropped to the floor, his muscles in spasm under the sudden pain. The world phased in and out as he blinked back into it, realising he was probably bleeding heavily. It took him a bit longer to realise people were talking.

'Leave him alone, Malfoy!' Susan shouted. He focused his eyes and spotted her standing defensively in front of him, like he had in front of her moments prior. There were a couple beside her, but he didn't know who, as well as footsteps, suggesting a fourth was getting a teacher.

'Step aside Bones, this doesn't concern you,' he replied, though his voice was a bit shaky after the reality of the situation settled in.

'Harry is my friend, so it does concern me.'

Even after the at least weekly, normally three time a week, study sessions they had together, he didn't think she had thought of him like that. That she was willing to stand up to someone who could cast a harmful curse only made him feel better about it. All of this, he thought, while he could easily be bleeding to death. If he had been in a state to, Harry would have laughed as he realised the absurdity of his thoughts.

'Fine, if you won't listen to reason, maybe you will listen to pain. Diffindo!'

It jarred Harry out of his thinking. He wasn't sure why, but his fingertips grabbed the end of his wand. A quick flick angled it towards the backs of the girls. His first thought was to try and levitate them, but he knew he couldn't manage more than a book. He wished that they would be okay, but all he could do was watch them. The last thing he noted before slipping into unconsciousness was that they were shaking with fear, but didn't falter as the curse came. The last thing he saw before slipping unconsciousness was a bright, golden light.

* * *

The room was dark when he opened his eyes. It wasn't the first time he had blacked out after some kind of trauma, but it was the first time he didn't wake up in intense pain afterwards. He quickly recognised he was in the infirmary, though it was unclear if there was anyone around. Given he could think clearly, he assumed that there were potions waiting for him when he woke up. The gentle light he could see creeping over the top of his curtain made him think Pomfrey was waiting for him.

He was in his jeans and shirt from earlier, so he assumed that he hadn't been out for a day and most likely only an hour or two. Moving his arms, there was a bit of pain, but it was easily bearable for him. Checking his pocket, he was pleased to find the omnocular and wizarding audio recorder unbroken. He took a deep breath in and hastily went over the situation, thinking through the best ways to make sure Malfoy didn't get away with this.

The first problem he identified was that Dumbledore would most likely be involved. He still had more than a few reservations about the headmaster from their last meeting and he wasn't at all sure how the old man would react to this.

The second problem was that Malfoy definitely had some protection from Snape. Even if he thought Snape may not entirely hate him now, he doubted Snape would make this easy for him, most likely by pushing the blame around, though he was hoping the recording would make this hard for him to do.

The third problem was that Hermione was now alone. As much faith as he had in her, he doubted she would've been able to get out of that encounter unscathed, because she gave into her fear. It was clear to him that, if he hadn't added that last "run," then she would still be standing there now.

Now, he only wished he could do something about these problems. On cue, a gentle tapping sounded. He couldn't help but grin, opening the window behind the bed for Hedwig. She dropped onto his stomach, taking a moment to stare at him before pecking his nose.

He pulled out his notebook. '_Sorry girl, but I was stopping some people getting hurt and got hurt myself. I'll try not to next time, okay?_'

At first he thought she was going to get another nip in, but she bobbed her head and moved back, closer to his hands. He stroked her back then turned back to problem solving, writing out a letter.

'_I need Hermione to get this. She should be in her dorm now, but if you can't get to her tonight, then tomorrow at breakfast. Got that?_' Hedwig bobbed her head again. '_Good. Have I told you you're the best owl in the world recently?_'

He chuckled at the pose she took on. All set, she took off back through the window and Harry made sure to close it before pressing the button Pomfrey had introduced to him last time as he prepared to get the potions over with, mind whirring.

* * *

'Ahem.'

There were five people around him. Pomfrey was waving her wand over him, murmuring about needing to plump up the scrawny boy. Dumbledore calmly sat at his side, that grandfatherly smile in place. Snape was standing at his side with his usual scowl. McGonagall was next, though she looked more concerned than anything. Last was Pomona Sprout, the head of Hufflepuff, who looked out of place in her seeming adoration.

'Harry, we-' Dumbledore paused as Harry raised his hand.

'_Mr Potter, please, sir._'

'Very well, Mr Potter, we apologise for waking you up early, but everyone is agreed that the sooner this minor conflict is resolved, the better.'

Pomfrey paused to glare at the headmaster. 'I think you'll find I was very much opposed to waking him up.'

'I also think putting three good students in the infirmary doesn't count as a "minor conflict".' Snape added.

'Now, now, we don't yet have the full picture, so don't be hasty in your judgements. Ha- Mr Potter, would you mind telling us what happened, from your point of view, last night?'

Harry picked up his notebook from the bedside table and wrote a quick note for Pomfrey. She nodded. 'Mr Potter has asked me to read out what he writes to make this easier.'

'Are you sure that is required, Mr Potter? After all, Poppy no doubt has other work she must attend to.'

'I can spare fifteen minutes of my day, Albus, never you mind.'

He inclined his head slightly, meeting Harry's gaze. 'I will ask you to start at the beginning then. Could you tell us what you were doing in that particular corridor at that time?'

'He and Hermione were returning to the common room after studying in the library. Madam Pince can vouch for them.'

'To the best of your ability, could you repeat the conversation between yourself and Mr Malfoy?'

'He asks if you are familiar with how ministry personal record short memos.'

Dumbledore was taken by surprise by the question, but nodded. 'They use a basic audio playback device that is based on muggle technology, though adapted to offer superior quality and duration. What importance does that have though?'

Harry couldn't help but smirk as he removed it from the table where it had gone unnoticed. 'He has requested permission to play the recording.'

Dumbledore merely nodded again and Harry set it off. He was relieved when, after the second curse, it was Malfoy and his goons who screamed, not the girls. It was hard to tell, but he thought he heard Sprout shouting in the background, followed by a few minutes of footsteps and then Pomfrey's questions. He stopped it there and looked up, trying to disguise his glee at the shocked expressions all around.

'He has asked if you agree with the rules Mr Malfoy broke.'

'Indeed, I will ensure Mr Malfoy apologises for his use of detestable language. However, I fear that we shall have to disagree with the second.'

'Albus!' McGonagall hissed.

He raised his hands, requesting silence. 'Children make threats all the time without following through.'

Pomfrey objected this time. 'If using a severing curse on someone isn't "following through," then what is?'

'As is evident from the recording, much time lapsed between. We do know that Mr Potter is able to cast silently, something which would not be evident on such evidence. Mr Malfoy is claiming self-defence in this whole issue, insisting that Mr Potter cast the first spell and he merely retaliated as he currently knows no defensive spells.'

'He says he used a levitation spell to pull the carpet, tripping Mr Malfoy. This gave him and Hermione enough time to get away. He is also willing to accept his punishment if, and only if, Mr Malfoy is punished for intimidation of himself, Miss Granger and the Hufflepuff girls, casting offensive spells at himself and the girls without due cause and for injuring himself.'

'I'm afraid Mr Potter you are in no position to negotiate on this issue.'

'He says that then he will be sending a copy of the recording to the Ministry of Magic as well as the Board of Governors along with a formal complaint and a request for transfer to a different school. He also says that he hopes his teachers don't take it personally, but he feels that he would be unable to learn to the best of his ability if he has to worry about the safety of himself and his friends.'

'I feel you are letting your anger cloud your judgement, Mr Potter. If you would calm down, you would see the position I am in does not allow me to punish a student for what cannot be proved.'

'He is asking what evidence, other than what he said, Mr Malfoy has to support him. He would also like to point out that there have been several clashes between him and Mr Malfoy before and he has never started any and has ended up with injuries after some while Mr Malfoy has not. He adds that he is calm and that maybe you should put yourself in his position and see if you would be willing to accept your own decision after being attacked multiple times with the attacker getting no punishments for what they did.'

'Come now, Mr Potter, surely you are making mountains out of molehills. There are no rules in place for intimidation nor that state the nature of the spell cast in corridors alters the resulting punishment. As such, I am giving you one months detention with Mr Filch and Mr Malfoy three months under Professor Snape.'

'He says that it is not acceptable. He says that you are in no position to negotiate in this issue. He also asks Professor McGonagall if, as Deputy Headmistress or as a head of House, there would be a way for her to give the appropriate punishments.'

McGonagall was still in a state of shock, but recovered as everyone turned to her. 'In the case of a majority of the heads of House disagreeing with the headmaster's, or headmistress', decision, a senior member of staff may be given the responsibility so long as they are not personally involved in the matter.'

'He asks that Professor Flitwick joins us so that the vote may be cast.'

A flick of her wand and a silver cat emerged. McGonagall whispered to it and it shot off through the wall.

Snape caught up with himself. 'Potter, what sort of arrogance makes you think that you can talk to us all like this?'

Rather than have Pomfrey read it out, he handed it to Snape. '_The arrogance that makes Draco Malfoy think he can insult, __scare and __attack students while breaking any rules he wants __without consequences__._'

Harry was preparing for reply, but Snape seemed to lose himself in the words. It was a tense silence in the few minutes it took Flitwick to arrive. 'What's going on?' he asked.

'We are having a vote to determine if the headmaster's decision as to the punishments of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are acceptable. Do bare with us while we inform you of what has transpired.'

Flitwick looked curious. 'Yes, yes, do go on.'

'There is no need,' Snape barely whispered. 'I vote for Mr Potter's request. Pomona, Minerva?' It took them a moment, but they both agreed. 'I nominate Madam Pomfrey. Does anyone oppose?' he said as quietly as before. Both shook their heads. 'So mote it be. Headmaster Dumbledore shall be relieved of his responsibility for passing judgement and in his place we put Madam Pomfrey, who holds no relation nor responsibility unique to one party. As such, his presence is no longer required for this meeting and if no other relevant business need be discussed, he is requested to leave. With the voting over, the presence of Professor Flitwick is similarly no longer required and so he is requested to leave.'

His words took moments to settle. Flitwick nodded before leaving. Dumbledore took longer to realise and Harry was wondering if he, perhaps, had not heard, given his old age and the gentle tone Snape had used. However, the headmaster did stand and depart after Snape asked if he had anything further to discuss.

'Poppy, due to your position making you unfamiliar with the precedent for punishments, may I suggest spending some time in the records room before coming to a decision?'

She nodded. 'I'll inform you of my decision at lunch.'

'Very well. I will return at noon, is this an acceptable time for you as well, Minerva and Pomona?' They nodded. 'I call this meeting to an end until then.' With that, he strode out the enclosure.

The other two heads of House shortly followed. 'If you require assistance, the button will still get me. The potions should keep you full until dinner and your cut should be fine if you don't strain it. As long as nothing goes awry, I'll release you after lunch.'

Now alone, all he could do was try and push away the headache. Usually he could barely brush his teeth after waking up and being forced to switch into quick-thinking mode tore him apart.

'Harry...'

He smiled at the familiar face. '_Morning Hermione. Enjoy the entertainment?_'

'How can you be joking? Harry, you disrespected the headmaster, argued with him, blackmailed him and he was only trying to help.'

His smile slipped. He was expecting this from Hermione, but he really wished not now. '_When you were growing up and something bad happened, what did you do?_'

She frowned at the question. 'I told my parents or teacher or an adult.'

'_I couldn't. If I had a problem, I had to solve it. My aunt and uncle wouldn't help, my teachers pretended to believe me then called me a liar. It was either I did something or nothing happened._'

He paused, waiting to judge her reaction. To her, it was like she was reading a language she didn't know, because what he said was so alien to her.

'_Malfoy is my problem. I was fine until he threatened you, but that's the end of it. The moment he said he __would__ hurt you, he made sure that there was no way I would let him get away with it and I'll be damned if that stupid headmaster is gonna stop me._'

'Harry...'

He pulled the top of his gown to his waist. '_Look Hermione, look at what Malfoy did to me, what he wanted to do to you, what he nearly did to Susan and her friends. __You heard him, __Dumbledore wanted him to get away with it!_'

She avoided it at first, but he kept at it until she looked. Her eyes swept across the thin band from a bit above the elbow on one arm to a bit below the elbow on the other. What was worse was that she knew this was after it had been healed; she could see the blood on his torn shirt discarded on the floor.

'_My friends are the most important thing in the world to me and I won't let Malfoy think he can get away with hurting any of them. Even Albus Bloody Dumbledore can get lost if he gets in the way._'

'Harry... What happened to you? You shouldn't be like this.'

'_I had the only thing in my life I cared about taken away once before and I won't let it happen again. __I know when to lose and when I __need__ to win._' A tear rolled down his cheek.

'Please, tell me. I... I want to understand.'

He shook his head. '_I can't, not now._' A deep breath helped calm him and he wiped away the tears in the corner of his eyes. '_You should go, before you miss breakfast. Make sure you hide the second recorder and stay with __Neville, __Lavendar and Parvati or Susan and her friends._'

She nodded. 'I'll see you after lunch, Harry.' He smiled; her face remained sunken.

* * *

Author Notes

I'll keep this short, given the chapter is already a bit long. I did plan to slot the Quidditch in at the end, but I underestimated how chatty people were and opted to split it into two chapters and move some other stuff forwards to fill the next. This chapter pushes onwards from the last couple and, combined with the next couple, should set the foundations.

On a less story note, I do read and appreciate all reviews. As far as questions go though, I would prefer to answer them via pm's and I will answer just about any question as long as it uses decent grammar, spelling and courtesy.

Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for more.


	7. Repercussions

Time slipped by until the afternoon meeting had come and gone.

'Hey,' Hermione muttered. 'I got Neville to get some clean clothes for you, hope you don't mind.'

He smiled, taking the pile from her while she turned and drew the curtains from the other side. Silence as he put them on and dropped his few items into the pockets before slipping out of the enclosure.

'_Thanks._'

She was deep in thought by the time they reached the door, Neville faking a smile beside it. Their footsteps were the only sound as they trudged back to the common room. Harry and Hermione took one of the few sofas, Neville getting a few books from his room before sitting at a nearby table.

'Harry,' she breathed. 'I want to understand. I've thought about it all morning and I still don't.'

It had already been a long day for him and he was only at the halfway point. '_What do you think would happen in a muggle school if someone cut you with scissors, on purpose, after the teacher heard them say they were going to?_'

'They… they would get into a lot of trouble.'

'_Why did Malfoy say he wouldn't get in trouble?_'

'He was in a tutoring session with Snape...'

'_Who did Dumbledore want Malfoy to have his detentions with?_'

The strands snapped into together and she nodded. 'But he's the headmaster - why would he treat Malfoy, well, specially?'

He shook his head. '_I don't know._'

She hesitated, then asked, 'Did you really mean it when you said you'd move schools?'

'_Only if you, Susie and Neville would come with me. Really, I just wanted him to know I'd make a big deal out of it._'

The words calmed her and she eased back into the seat, a subtle smile in place. 'What did Pomfrey decide anyway?'

His feral grin made her shudder. '_He's got a month in isolation from breakfast to dinner, including the meals. After that, he has detention every day for a month with Hagrid. It gets better: if he does anything like this again, he'll only be allowed his wand __during__ class until next year._'

She couldn't help but laugh. 'That's perfect! I doubt he hates anyone more than Hagrid. Well, maybe you, but you don't really count.'

'_Not finished yet though. He has one other bit, but it's not important now. As for me, I have a week with Pomfrey where she'll teach me a little first aid –__ bandaging cuts and stuff__. I think I'm the only person in history to have a detention for being "mildly disrespectful" and "continually finding himself in the infirmary" – what do you think?_'

'Well, they are strange reasons, but they suit you.'

'_Maybe I should ask her to give you a detention for running in the halls._'

With a smirk, she replied, 'Shame you haven't got any proof.'

'_Who says I haven't?_'

She dramatised her response, swaying and mock pouting, 'Why must you torment me so?'

His moment of stillness confused her. '_I don't know when your birthday is, could you tell me?_'

'19th of September,' she replied, bemused.

'_Well that won't do. What do you want as a late present?_'

'Really, Harry, you don't need to get me one. We barely knew each other then.'

He shook his head. '_This isn't about you, just for you. So, what do you want?_'

'You have a real way with words,' she dryly stated.

'_How about another book? Mr Dahl has some __more__._'

'You know, I might have an idea.' She paused, thinking. 'In history, your drawing was really good. Maybe you could, erm, draw something for me?'

It surprised him, considering that was the only time she had seen anything he had drawn. '_It wasn't and I want to get you a real present._'

'If you weren't going to listen, why did you bother asking me?'

'_I want to get you something you'd like and they're just doodles, nothing special._'

'Well, Mr Potter, this isn't about you. I would very much like a beautiful picture drawn to the best of your ability and that's that.'

He sighed, shaking his head. '_Fine, but I'll get you something else so you're not disappointed when you hate it._'

She flicked his nose. 'No, Mr Potter. You asked, I told, understand? Good.'

'_At least promise to get me a birthday present that's just as disappointing. Maybe a packet of owl droppings?_'

'Oh stop being so grumpy!'

'_Yes sir!_' She looked up to be greeted by him standing to attention and broke out in giggles, with him shortly joining her.

* * *

Monday morning brought the Gryffindors trekking into the dungeons after transfiguration. The door opened when they were near, the previous class emptying out.

'Harold,' Susan curtly said, holding an air of indifference.

'_Susann__a__._'

She split, grinning. 'I'm not sure what happened, but Snape's acting weird. Enjoy it while it lasts.'

He wondered what counted as strange for Snape, given his normally peculiar behaviour, but waved as she caught up with the other Hufflepuffs. The Slytherins arrived shortly after and Snape called them in. His voice was distant - not gentle, but not its normal patronising tone. Instructions were drawn up and, much to the surprise of the class, he added notes on where they would be likely to go wrong and how to correct it.

With that done, he sunk into his seat, eyes glazing over. Hesitantly, cauldrons were filled and fires lit, but Snape sat still as a statue, continuing to do so until near the end. A hasty check of most brews done, he tallied through a list of who had adequately completed the potion, awarding them points; the list included a few Gryffindors, a possible first. He then did the opposite, deducting points from those who produced poor products; another first as he included Goyle. They silently exited, leaving the professor in his seat.

'You know what this means,' Ron said, Dean and Seamus looking at him puzzled. 'We might actually win the match!'

Harry knew that, if she wasn't still glowing from being on Snape's good-list, Hermione would have rolled her eyes at Ron's one-track mind. Instead, he listened as she rambled on about the extra work she had been putting in and how it had finally paid off. As much as he liked her enthusiasm, there were times when she would, basically, be talking to herself.

The Great Hall was already bursting with chattering and clattering. They slunk into two seats opposite each other at the one end, swiftly tucking into a tasty lunch. Halfway through, they were interrupted by a loud clearing of a throat.

'Excuse me, but could I have a moment of Miss Granger's time?'

To hide his grin, Harry took a long sip of his pumpkin juice. Malfoy had his face contorted between a look of callousness and hatred, slowly fading between the two.

'Of course, Draco, anything for you.'

Harry choked on his drink, playing it off as a cough when Malfoy glared at him.

'Go on, Mr Malfoy,' the ever-cheery Flitwick prompted.

'I-I would like to apologise for using that nasty word. It was very disrespectful and hurtful of me to use it and I will do my best to not use it again.' He finished off with a polite bow, which Harry thought was so he wouldn't have to look at Hermione.

'Oh Draco, I accept your most gracious apology! It means so much to me that you care about my feelings. Would it be okay if I gave you a hug?' she cooed, louder than necessary for him to hear.

That time it wasn't just Harry covering up snorts and splutters. 'No!' Malfoy hurriedly hissed, taking a step back.

To her credit, Hermione managed to look disappointed and pouted at him. 'Alright, but next time I'll insist on it.'

Malfoy nodded, beads of sweat forming beneath his blonde hairline. Flitwick read this as an ending and took Malfoy with him to the staff table, where there was an extra seat added.

'_Dammit Hermione, you nearly killed me!_'

'You know me; I like to succeed where others have failed.'

He eyed the bread knife she had picked up and pressed against her finger. '_Wood won't be pleased._'

'Oh? I don't have any idea what you're talking about.' Weighing his options, he held his hands up in mock surrender. In reply, she tutted and muttered, 'Boys.'

Support for him arrived in the form of Hedwig. '_Good to see you, thanks for getting that letter to Hermione._' She nuzzled closer to him, careful to avoid the clutter. '_I don't suppose you could protect me from her __now__?_' He pointed a thumb at Hermione and dropped his notebook to the table, so she could read it.

'Ah, you fail to see Hedwig is on my side. After all, us girls have to stick together, right?'

Harry smirked as Hedwig gave her a long look before sliding along so she was in the middle of them. '_Hah!_' he held up.

'Very mature, Mr Potter, very mature.' She finished off the rest of her food and found it quite humorous that Hedwig still separated them. However, something was tickling her brain about the owl.

* * *

February slipped by, Harry having all of his free time taken up preparing for the Quidditch match versus Hufflepuff. Even with the subtle change in Snape's behaviour, Wood didn't give them any slack in practices.

The tender mist dissolved in the sunlight that broke over the hills in the morning. Although less popular than the last match, most seats filled as match time approached and, much to Harry's embarrassment, a few groups of girls had banners of support for him, complete with proclamations of love and requests he didn't want to think about.

Across from him, the Hufflepuff captain said, 'May the best team win.'

'We will,' Wood replied, earning glares from his own team and a gentle chuckle from the other.

'Ready?' Snape asked, a hint of venom back in his voice. Both teams nodded. 'Mount your brooms and go on my command.' Harry eyed the opposing seeker - Cedric Diggory according to Wood - a larger boy with a similarly lean build. Snape opened the ball box, the bludgers and snitch leaping into the air before the latter disappeared into an indistinguishable blur. With a large grunt, Snape arced the quaffle. 'Begin!'

The Gryffindors switched to game mode. Harry kicked off, his stomach left on the ground as his body catapulted into the sky. Already the whipping air drowned out all sounds and he knew he could go even faster, but he also knew he needed a gentle pace to have a chance of spotting the snitch on the Nimbus.

This time, Wood's words of wisdom were to keep an eye on the other seeker. Watching the graceful, seemingly effortless dives and rolls Cedric used to avoid the odd bludger, Harry couldn't help but agree that he was a threat. His heart jumped when he saw a glitter of gold, but it was just a Gryffindor flag someone was waving. Skimming over the crowd, he was pleased to see Hermione cheering, despite her disinterest in the game, with Neville beside her. It was unnerving to see how many people were focusing only on him. He thought they must be expecting a repeat of last time, which would definitely not be happening if he wanted to fly a broom again.

The whistle sounded and Harry spotted Wood signalling for a time out. They had planned on it anyway, so they could discuss roughly how much time Harry had to get the snitch.

'It's not as bad as we thought, but I'd say you have an hour at the most,' Wood said, scratching his chin. 'Perhaps more if their beaters focus on you, but you'd have to bait them with fakes and watch out for Cedric shoving you around.'

Harry nodded and Wood spiced up his standard team talk with threats of intensive training, Fred questioning if their current regime could be any more intense. Snape blew the whistle again and again they were off.

Valuable minutes trickled by, the snitch remaining hidden. Harry took a deep breath in and slowly let it out, a little calmer from it. His eyes darted, wishing for that snitch to sparkle.

Cedric kept fairly close to him - too close for Harry's liking. He tipped the nose, leaning forwards and hastily dropped, accelerating onwards. Behind him, Cedric swore and copied his dive, trying to make up the difference while looking ahead for where he assumed Harry saw the snitch.

The crowd burst at the sudden activity, a few randomly pointed to where they said the snitch was. Harry pulled back, curving back up after skimming the grass. He glanced back, grinning at Cedric's shrinking body. It was risky, since he would be hard pressed to see any incoming bludgers, but he aimed his broom towards the sun, ploughing forwards at full speed. Reaching a good height, a sharp turn put him aiming back at Cedric, who could barely look at Harry against the sun.

Spectators roared in appreciation as Harry stole passed his pursuer, putting even more distance between them. Still, it was all for nothing if he took too long. He bent his path, following the edge of the oval pitch, looking inwards. The cheers rose and fell when he stormed passed, but the snitch hid until his ninth lap.

A tiny shimmer above one of the Hufflepuff's stands; Harry glanced at his opponent, happy to see Cedric eyeing the completely wrong area. He was further away, but all he'd need was a few seconds to ensure the lead. Gently, he curled off the boundary, attention split, biding his time.

The chase was on.

He tugged the handle across, leaning forwards until his chin rested on the broom. Already the distance diminished, his peripheral vision a blur as his eyes belonged to the snitch. Cedric realised too late, though tried regardless. Harry held his breath; the snitch whirred downwards to escape, but he nimbly twisted his body, hanging beneath his broom. His outstretched hand pounced while the other pulled to the left, narrowly avoiding the edge of play and the staring spectators. Righting himself, he triumphantly raised his arm to applause.

'Potter has the snitch! Gryffindor take the victory, four-hundred and forty to three-hundred and eighty!' boomed Lee's voice.

Harry finished off his victory lap before dropping to join the team. They already had mugs of butterbeer in hand, Katie thrusting another towards him.

'Good game, Potter,' Cedric muttered, offering a hand. Harry grinned, handing over his own drink and getting a replacement. Cedric, amused, accepted and raised it in the air. 'To the lion who caught the mouse,' he cheered.

'To the lion!' the others chorused, taking a gulp of their drinks.

* * *

After a long, impromptu party/lunch, courtesy of the twins and their unknown method of getting large amounts of good food, Harry and Hermione set off to find Hagrid and ask what was planned for Malfoy's first few detentions. He had been more than happy to fill the duo in, pointing out the stables where some creatures would be staying and need regular mucking.

Harry noticed something though, a murmur of movement. '_Sorry I have to run off, but I just remembered I __promised Wood I'd do a write-up for the match._'

Hagrid looked crestfallen, but Hermione offered to stay for a bit longer, which perked him up a bit. Harry slid out, walking towards the Quidditch pitch until he was sure they wouldn't see him. The headmaster had warned them of the dangers of the forest, hence why it was called the Forbidden Forest, but he knew he had seen someone.

A small clearing a bit inside had two figures in a peculiar twilight. Harry dared not approach too close, keeping his back to a large oak and listening intently.

'My Lord; you know... I wish I could, but... Dumbledore is distancing... himself from me... and I care not... to provoke him,' Snape panted.

'Severus, you know I do not ask the impossible - merely distract him. That oaf Hagrid has aided me once more, for a dragon's egg no less, and that vile creature he calls "Fluffy" won't be a burden. Onwards from that beast is trivial at best. Honestly, if the old fool hadn't tied himself to the protections, I'd just blast through them.' Harry thought the smooth, melodic voice had some familiarity, but not enough to recognise the person.

'So mote it be... I shall have it done... before the year ends... but I'll need time... to cover my tracks.'

A whip-like sound and a scream later, the other man replied, 'Perhaps you need a motivation. What to use, what to use, the carrot or the stick?' Another whip. 'I think the carrot today. Do you wonder what potions could be brewed with a Philosopher's Stone?'

'You are too kind... My Lord.'

'Perhaps I need remind you of the cost of failure,' the voice oozed, punctuating the ending with another sharp crack. 'This is goodbye until the mission is over.' Casually, he finished, 'Crucio,' his tone bored and indifferent.

The raw scream burst out, only to be muffled within a fraction of a second, though still audible where Harry was. It lasted three seconds to Harry, three hours to Snape. The other chuckled quietly as he walked out of the clearing, a little off the opposite side to Harry, who chanced a look only to see a tall column of black mist.

Harry continued waiting though, listening to the pained sobs. He had read descriptions of what the Cruciatus curse felt like, a sensation akin to being thoroughly pierced by dozens of flaming-hot daggers or to have every nerve ending set alight.

'Oh... Evans... why did... my... life fall... apart... without... you?' His breathing started to stabilise and he eventually stood up, removing the dirt with a shaky spell. 'To choose between two evils... one must go for the lesser... but what if you don't know which that is?' Snape shook his head, muttering about the cruciatus leaving him momentarily insane before awkwardly limping back towards the school.

Cursing his own stupidity, Harry hastily wrote down every part of the conversation he could remember. Some bits weren't quite what happened, but he felt happy he had the important aspects covered. Walking to the hut, he had two problems. The first was that he wasn't sure if he should tell Hermione, since he didn't want to get her any more involved with whoever that horrible person was. The second was whether or not he should tell Dumbledore, since the old man had proven himself to be nothing like the great figure others thought him, but was still in charge around here after all.

All too soon, he tapped the large door and found himself once more in the midst of Hagrid's impassioned descriptions of obscure and deadly magical beasts. He decided that there would be a need to find out who the person was and he had mentioned something about an egg. Glancing around the room, he realised how that large cooking pot above the roaring fire was surprisingly subtle for the usually blunt gamekeeper.

Unfortunately for Harry, he couldn't see Hagrid letting him in on the secret and its disguise wouldn't allow him to claim curiosity beyond asking what was cooking. The other route to take would be to bring up Fluffy and see whether he could get Hagrid to admit to telling someone about him (or her?).

Luck, it seemed, was on Harry's side though. There was a muffled cracking sound, the pot wobbling and shortly thereafter a gentle cry. Hagrid immediately tried to nonchalantly push them out, muttering about having an early dinner, but Hermione was having none of it.

'Hagrid, what have you got in there? If I didn't know you better, I would think you were cooking a live animal!'

He cringed at the insinuation. 'No, 'Ermione, it jus' likes the heat, yer know?'

'No, Hagrid, I don't know. What animal could possibly like being boiled alive?'

'It's, ah, an ashwinder. Migh'y scary snakes, can burn through rocks. Snape as'ed me to ge' one, their eggs are used in some potions.'

For a second, Hermione looked like she took the bait, but then asked, 'Can we see it then? We won't tell anyone if we shouldn't, right Harry?' He nodded, but Hagrid was shifting about, moving himself between the duo and the pot. 'There's not an ashwinder in there, is there Hagrid?'

Hesitantly, he shook his head. 'Yer gotta promise no' ter tell, alrigh'?'

They both nodded and Hagrid sighed, reaching over and lifting the lid before scooping out the little dragon. It was still baying, but the giant's gentle petting calmed it a bit.

'Hagrid, is that... a dragon?' He nodded. 'But... but you can't keep a dragon! It's against the law!' Harry chuckled at Hermione focusing on being outraged for that reason.

'I know, I know, bu' they guy who gave it ter me, he told me abou' this li'l' guy's mum dying from dragon pox and I jus' couldn't leave him all alone, could I?'

Hermione tried to say something, but Harry held her. '_No point in telling him he can't keep it, we need to work out what to do with it and I have an idea._' He walked over to Hagrid, making a show of stroking the little dragon's snout. '_Hagrid, do you know someone who works with dragons that could look after him? Maybe an old student? __I'm sure he would much prefer to be with other dragons after all, not to mention he wouldn't get to really be free if you had to hide him here._'

Hagrid twisted a bit of his bushy beard around a finger, considering. 'Yer know, Charlie was always talking 'bou' a dragon sanctuary in Romania, said he'd fallen in love on a visi' and couldn't wai' to go back.'

'Charlie Weasley?' Hermione asked, getting a nod from Hagrid. 'His parents went to Romania over Christmas, didn't they Harry?' He nodded. 'So he must be working there then! All we have to do now is send him a letter and ask if he can help.'

'Norber' would be happier flyin' with others like him, wouldn't he?'

Hermione quickly reassured him. 'Of course!'

Harry knew there was one last thing Hagrid wanted to hear. '_Norbert will always remember you and you could visit him during the holidays, to make sure he's okay._'

'You're a good lad, 'Arry, jus' like yer father and his friends.' He enthusiastically patted Harry's back, sending him sprawling. 'Sorry there, sometimes I forge' my own strength.'

'_Not a problem,_' Harry wrote after picking himself up, Hagrid dropping Norbet back into the large pot. '_Who did give you the egg anyway? They're quite rare and expensive I thought._'

Hagrid shifted back into his broad armchair, more relaxed with the secret out in the open. 'They are. Not sure who he was, bu' he told me he travels a lot and didn't have time to look af'er a dragon. Strange man too, kept jumping if anyone go' too close. Loved listenin' to me tell him 'bout the creatures I've looked after here. Boy was he interes'ed when I told him 'bout Fluffy – didn't believe me when I said he'd go out in a blink if yer played him some music.'

'Fluffy?' Hermione questioned, frowning. 'That wouldn't be the two-headed cat on the third floor, would it?'

'I, er,' Hagrid stammered, realising his slip. 'No, no, Fluffy is an, uh-'

'_It's okay, we know about him and how he's guarding the Philosopher's Stone. Dumbledore knows we know too._'

Hagrid sighed in relief. 'Well, if Dumbledore knows, then I guess i's fine. I raised Fluffy since he was a pup, won him in a bet from some bloke from Brazil. Course, I wasn't ta know he'd ge' so big, but Dumbledore took care of it a while back. Been nice seeing him again, af'er all the years. If he didn' make me promise no' ter get another pet then I would've told him already, but how could I say no to a poor, orphan dragon?'

* * *

The next morning, Hedwig swooped down, landing in front of Harry. After taking off the note and handing her a rasher of bacon, she waddled over, separating Harry and Hermione.

'_Hey Ha, __Seems like forever since we __properly __talked. __Wanted to say you flew really well yesterday and everyone over here is annoyed with you – if Cedric hadn't talked you up, you'd probably have a couple of howlers by now. Is Wood gonna let up on the training? Maybe we can study for the DADA test later (Hannah wants to too)? __-__Susan._'

'I still don't understand why Hedwig won't let me use her, but does let Susan.'

'_That's easy: Susie doesn't threaten to kill me._'

Hermione scoffed. 'She knows I'm just joking, don't you girl?' The owl swivelled her head either side. 'But… I am!'

'_Come on, Hermione, she's not stupid. You'll have to do better than that._'

'I, err, what?'

'_She can see through your blatant lies. Anyway, it will come to __it__ eventually – your parents are dentists and I'm a supporter of the Rotfang, it can't last forever._'

She stuttered, trying to process what he said, but continued falling over the bits that made no sense.

Harry tutted, turning his attention to Hedwig. '_Some people just can't handle the truth, can they girl?_'

Cutting her losses, Hermione turned back to her plate, putting on an extra slice of toast. Harry pulled out a blank piece of parchment and wrote down a reply.

'_Hey Su, Thanks and thank Cedric for me - I don't know what a howler is, but I'm guessing it's loud and annoying. The rest of the team forced Wood to give us a couple of weeks off, but I might ask him for one-on-one training. Hermione has me and Neville down for a few hours after lunch, so you and Hannah can come if you want. Before lunch I'm gonna see if I can cast that shield again – Hermione thinks I should be able to, but I'm not so sure. –Harry._'

It didn't take Hedwig long to return with another note. '_Hey Ha, Will do and good luck, my aunty is always telling me how hard shields are to do well, but Hermione is right, of course you can do it! See you in the library. –Susan._'

Breakfast finished off peacefully, after which Harry and Hermione found a disused classroom. They pushed the desks towards the wall, leaving a central oval with a pair of wooden chairs inside.

'Okay, so based on what Susan said it looked like, I believe it was the little shield charm, Protego Parvus. It only gets taught in fifth year, but the prefects I asked said that it was easy enough after you do it once.'

'_Won't I be too weak to do it properly?_'

She shook her head. 'It won't be strong, but it'll still work. I mean, even a tickling charm could get through, but you'd be able to see it.' Her wand posed, she asked, 'Ready to learn the movements?'

After a nod, she dipped wand in an arc before slicing back to the start and finishing with a spiral into the centre. He imitated her, but she shook her head before repeating them again. This time she gave him a smile and he took a deep breath.

His arm mimicked the movements, willing the shield in his mind. A momentary glimmer appeared, startling him at how close it was, then it was gone. 'You did it!' Hermione cheered, running over and hugging him, but she felt him pull away, muscles tensed. Blushing, she released him, stepping back. 'I-I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking.'

He shook his head. '_I'm not a fan of hugs, that's all. __Think we've done enough for today?_'

'Yeah,' she muttered. 'We can practice more next weekend.'

* * *

Nearly caught up with where I wanted to be, so I should be back on schedule shortly. Wrapping up Norbert and advancing more on the stone will take up the bulk of next chapter, along with the revelation of Skeeter's reply and how Hannah and Susan went on from it. Of course, Harry won't be distracted entirely from researching Remus, but with everything else, he'll be hard pushed to spare the time.

A little unstory, I was pleasantly surprised by the reviews for the last chapter. Speaking of which, I'm slightly unnerved to say I still haven't really received what I think of as a negative review – it makes me think I'm doing something wrong.

Until next time: fix up, look sharp and beware the Rotfang Conspiracy.


	8. Draco Dormiens

Susan and Hannah wandered into the library, gravitating towards the trio of Gryffindors. Harry gave them a quick smile before finishing the notes he was currently taking. Hermione was in the middle of hastily whispering an explanation to Neville, but his expression betrayed the intense confusion still in place.

'_She's been at it for the last ten minutes, something about __the difference between__ a curse __and a__charm__,_' he jotted before sliding the note over to the newest arrivals. They let out muffled giggles and Hannah pulled over an extra chair from a nearby table.

Harry wasn't too focused on the work at hand though. His wrist flicked and curved mechanically while he sorted through his ever-increasing pile of problems. They had sent a letter to Charlie after leaving Hagrid's and were expecting a reply tonight, which could either greatly relieve or further burden him. While he hated the idea, he knew he should tell someone about the conversation he had overheard, but he doubted anyone would believe him. Still, he thought, at least then he wouldn't wonder "what if" later on. Then there was the peculiarity that was Remus Lupin. He had seen him in the mirror, but wasn't sure why. If, as McGonagall had said, Remus had moved abroad by the time he was born, he pondered how the mirror knew what Remus looked like, since he had assumed it used a mixture of memory and imagination. He did somewhat trust McGonagall, but he was doubting she had been truthful.

A prod at his hand snapped him out of his thoughts. 'Are you okay? Looked a little out of it there,' Susan quietly asked. He nodded, pushing a smile back up and looking back at the book. The little good news for him was that it seemed that his biggest problem, the Philosopher's Stone, could wait for a bit and give him time to process the others first.

Hermione finished her mini-lecture and asked, 'Do you understand now?' Neville paused a moment before nodding. 'Good, now, where were we...' Her quill perked, nose already closing in on the book.

Paper slid under his hand. '_I never really asked, but how is DADA for you? __Quirrel's alright with us, but a Raven said he was always stuttering in your class, __which sounded __odd__._'

Harry silently chuckled, writing a response, '_Always end up with a headache after an hour and a half of __his __stuttering. Also stares at me a lot, which is a little unusual for a teacher, but I'm used to it._' He glanced up, Hermione was still immersed in her book, so he further wrote, '_If I'm honest, it's strange that I __always__ have a headache. What about Skeeter though? I told you a bit of Gryffindor and Slytherin would get the job done, didn't I?_'

Susan swiftly read it before continuing beneath. '_That is strange with DADA – maybe you find the class boring and unchallenging to the point of pain? I mean, if I was defeating dark wizards before I could walk, I'd find learning about hinkypuffs dreadfully dull. __With __Skeeter, we kinda slipped up. Her reply went to Hannah, __so__ I had to confess our plan before she'd let me check it. __Seems Rita doesn't like anyone asking for more money, even when she doesn't know how much they asked for in the first place – __one of the nicer words she used was "hustler" and I'd rather not tell you the less nice ones._'

He stifled the chortle, getting an odd look from Hermione and Neville before they went back to revising. '_To be fair, I only defeated the one dark wizard.__ Sounds like Hannah must have had an interesting breakfast reading that __letter -__g__lad you two made up, __you both seemed a little lonely without each other. __I know it's not quite the same, but __most of the Christmas holiday__ sucked without Hermione._' A few minutes of reading, to allay any conspiracies the others may have, and he slid the note over.

She covertly read it, keeping an eye on Hannah and Hermione, switching between taking notes and replying, '_Mr Potter, I do hope you don't include our conversation in that "sucked"! I do know what you mean, though. We only met in the dorm room after being sorted, but, by Christmas, without her, I felt kinda lost, if that make sense. __I'm rambling, aren't I?_'

'_Perfect sense,_' he added, sneakily sliding the piece over while Hermione was gathering another book.

* * *

Hedwig swooped down during dinner on Tuesday night, a letter tied to her leg. Harry passed her a bit of bacon before taking it off. She waddled over to his side, resting against his arm. He fixed the unusually ruffled feathers and opened the letter, Hermione having to awkwardly lean over the table to read it until he shifted it to the middle.

'_Dear friends of Hagrid,_

'_You were correct in saying that I work with dragons now as well as having got on well with the groundskeeper. While I'm reluctant to trust anyone who withholds their name, I understand your reasons and the situation really isn't surprising (if I'm honest, I'm more surprised it hasn't happened sooner), so I will go out on a limb._

'_I've talked to a few colleagues and we will be able to stop by Hogsmeade on the fourteenth. Another owl will be sent to Hagrid to tell him where and when we'll meet him once we're in the UK._

'_Send Hagrid my regards in the meantime, Charlie Weasley._'

'Well, it should be all sorted then,' Hermione whispered.

Harry pulled out his notebook and wrote, '_Do you know any counter-jinxes?_' She shook her head. '_That could be a problem since you jinxed it._'

'You can't jinx things like that,' she hissed, 'It's just a myth.'

Shrugging, he responded, '_When everything goes wrong, don't blame me._'

* * *

Friday rolled around with a second letter from Charlie and Hagrid invited the pair of them to bid their farewells to Norbert during the afternoon.

'He's jus' so cute, don't ya think?' Hagrid asked, holding up the slobbering dragon chewing on a raw steak.

'Erm, yes, he's a very cute dragon,' Hermione loudly muttered from the other side of the room. Being the brave boy he was, Harry warily stroked Norbert's back where Hagrid had said he liked it, flinching when there was any movement from the baby dragon.

A slight sob followed by a long blow of the nose on a tablecloth-like handkerchief from Hagrid brought Hermione out of her self-imposed exile, laying a comforting hand on him. 'Thanks 'Ermione, I'm a li'l' emotional. I's never easy saying goodbye, no ma'er how many times yer have to do i'.'

'There, there, Hagrid. Charlie said you can visit Norbert whenever you're there, didn't he? So, it's not really a proper goodbye, more like a "see you later," don't you agree?'

'I s'pose yer righ', as always.' He brushed away a large tear before picking up another steak for Norbert. 'I've already as'ed Dumbledore if I can go visi' Romania for a week over the summer, so it'll only be a few months. Jus' need ter find someone to look af'er Fang and I'm sor'ed.'

Hermione retreated back a bit, taking up a seat on the lumpy sofa, with Harry shortly joining her. Norbert was put back in the pot, the lid leaving a sliver of a gap.

'He don't much like the dark,' Hagrid murmured, shifting another lump of wood onto the gentle fire. 'Strange to think he won't be here this time tomorrow. I'll be off down the Hogshead before the older kids wander down, back in time for eggs and bacon.'

'_At least you have torturing Malfoy to look forward to,_' Harry wrote and handed over.

Hagrid's laughter boomed around the hut. 'Aye. Already had him around for a couple of days in fact, something about good behaviour. Righ' now he's cutting grass for feed, jus' over…' he trailed off, pointing to a blank area. 'Tha's not right. Where'd he go?'

Harry indicated a person running towards the castle.

'He must have been spying on us! What do you think he's gonna do?' Hermione asked, mind bubbling in theories.

'_Straight to Snape, like always,_' Harry jotted, thinking of what to do next. '_We'll have to tell Charlie and keep Norbert hidden until we can get him out._'

Hermione started to breakdown. 'They'll find Norbert and they'll ask why we didn't tell them and we'll have to admit we broke the law and they'll get the aurors to arrest us and send us to Azkaban and-' she abruptly stopped with Harry's finger pushed against her mouth. He removed it when she was no longer hyperventilating, writing out his plan.

'_You two go up to the castle and keep Malfoy and whoever he gets out of here as long as you can. After they don't find Norbert here, Hermione, go write a letter to Charlie and sign it with my name and get __Hedwig __to take it __when she gets back__. __Make it vague so all he knows is we have to do the swap as soon as possible, doesn't matter if anyone catches you that way__. Hagrid, try and stay around the teachers, so they don't think you're trying to sneak off to meet Charlie._'

After reading it, Hermione looked up and Harry was already just out the door. 'What about you?' she half-shouted, running over, but all she got back was a smile and a tap of his nose. 'I hate it when you do that,' she grumbled.

'We gonna follow his plan?' Hagrid asked, in the doorway.

She nodded, walking. 'Things usually work out okay, except he always ends up in trouble. Susan mentioned it was what happens when Gryffindors try to be Slytherins.'

'His mum were a crafty lass,' Hagrid said, striding towards the large entrance to the school, Hermione switching to jogging to keep up, 'Had to be ter keep his dad and friends in check. Always doin' some'in' they shouldn't, those four.'

It didn't take long for Snape and Malfoy to confront the pair, dragging them back to the hut to investigate. Finding no dragon and no Potter, Snape questioned them each, but neither did know where Norbert and he were. With no proof, Snape went back to the school to search for the missing link, Malfoy being excused from his detention to aid him.

Continuing her part, Hermione rambled to the owlery and wrote out the letter to Charlie. Hedwig wasn't there when she finished, but arrived soon enough. Hermione didn't realise until after the owl had left, but was confused by Hedwig allowing her to send a message. Chalking it up to the animal's intelligence, she dismissed it as unimportant for the time being and instead started her own search for Harry.

After her distracted leave, Snape began to fade into sight, as though droplets were washing him into existence as they ran down him.

Hermione, unlike the others, knew why Harry wouldn't be found if he didn't want to be. So, she wandered the quieter areas of the castle, listening out for any familiarly draconian sounds. By the time dinner was laid, there was still no sign of him and she begrudgingly took a lonely seat beside her room mates. She found it strange how boring and quiet it seemed, even though she wouldn't normally say much nor would he write much.

'Miss Granger, could you tell me where Mr Potter is?' McGonagall asked, her voice stern as always.

Hermione shook her head. 'Sorry Professor, I haven't seen him since he left Hagrid's earlier.'

'He's in the dorms, Professor,' Ron said, resting his cutlery for a moment. 'Not feeling well and said Madam Pomfrey threatened him to stay away.'

'Looked a little green when we left,' Dean added, Seamus nodding along.

From nearby, Fred stood up. 'I'm about to head up myself, if you need an escort to see our young apprentice, Professor?'

'Where's your brother?' she asked, eyes narrowing.

'Right there,' he replied, pointing further down the table at Percy. 'And there.' He switched to Ron.

'Your twin brother,' she sharply corrected.

'Why didn't you say so in the first place?' he exclaimed. 'Fred was down a bit before me. Or am I Fred? Anyway, he's a fast writer and reader,' he switched to a whisper, leaning over between Angelina and Alicia, 'But I've got the endurance.' Angelina swatted his head while Alicia choked on her pumpkin juice.

McGonagall cleared her throat before they got too distracted. 'I think removing you from here promptly would be a good idea.' She bade goodbye to the others and made her way to the tower with twin in tow. Her vigour renewed, Hermione hurriedly sank into the remainder of her meal, excusing herself shortly after.

Even though she could, she hadn't been up to the boys' dorms before. There wasn't any particular reason why not, just that she hadn't had a reason to do so before, as Harry didn't spend much time there when not sleeping. She may have thought about waking him up early on the weekends, but he always stayed up later than she did and thought it would be rude to wake him up. After all, she reasoned, if she had only had a little sleep and there wasn't anything important happening, she would quite hate being awoken early.

She shook her head, trying to focus on what was actually happening now. Gently, she knocked, barely a sound made. Still, the door handle lowered itself and the door pulled in, though the lack of a person near to said door caught her like a deer in the headlights.

Harry had to suppress his laughter as he watched Hermione scout both sides of the door, checking the nearest beds for a hidden person while he slipped his wand back under the covers. Once she was suitably stumped, she looked at him and asked, 'What?'

He did enjoy her rare confusion, because it was the only time she looked her age. There was no terribly intimidating book in her hand, or a wrinkled nose while she tried to put complex pieces into place, or a jumble of technical words he barely understood falling out of her mouth.

Seeing her slip towards agitation, he sat up, raised his wand and focused on the handle, silently closing the door with a push and a twist. 'Of course,' she muttered to herself before asking, 'Care to tell me what's going on?' He made a show of pouting, scratching his chin and lowering his eyebrows, before shaking his head. Dejected, she pleaded, 'Please?'

Scrounging a quill and parchment from his bedside table, he noted, '_Nothing is going on, but maybe if you ask tomorrow something will have._'

She frowned. 'Don't you trust me?'

'_The less people that know, the less there is to go wrong. Sorry, but if you needed to know, you would, and waiting till tomorrow means I __w__on't have to worry as much._'

It wasn't an answer she liked, but she appreciated the honesty and remorse he showed. A little part of her resented that he seemed to be hiding so much from her right now, but she ignored it. 'Okay, I'll wait.' She glanced around the room and quietly said 'I guess I should go.'

Her hand gripped the handle when she felt something tap her shoulder. A small envelope with "Hermione Jane Granger" printed eloquently sat on top of a larger one. Timidly, she peeled the smaller open and read, '_Happy Half-Birthday! __From __Harry James Potter,_' while subconsciously walking over till she was beside his bed.

She was careful with the slight jerks to open the second. Her breath left as she pulled it out, eyes tracking the delicacies in the stony walls and grainy tables laden with faces and food. Flittering along, she found herself in the picture – it was before she brushed her hair into a ponytail and was, seemingly, avidly lecturing a listening Harry. Above their drawn selves, the ceiling reflected a beautiful day with a few fluffy clouds and a handful of birds. Despite lacking colour, the most astounding part, for her, was that it was entirely in ink without a noticeable mistake in sight. No matter how hard she looked, the largest flaw she could find was a spot where the ink had run slightly, giving a tiny goblet an asymmetric appearance.

Nervous about the extended silence, he placed another note on top, getting her attention. '_Do you like it?_'

'Oh Harry,' she softly said, 'It's perfect...' Her eyes continued to dance across the parchment, taking in all the subtle details she had missed on the first glance. 'Did you really do all this?' She looked up to see him nod. 'How can you even be this good?' she asked, a slight smile in place.

He shrugged, writing, '_For the last few years, I've always had a pen or pencil and some paper and get bored a lot._' Reluctantly, he finished it with, '_Do you really think I'm a good drawer?_'

'Way better than anyone I know.' Blushing, she added, 'I can barely draw stick people.' They chuckled together, settling back into silence, until she asked, 'How much time did you spend on it?' Tallying on a loose sheet, he hesitantly handed the final number over. 'Twenty-seven hours?' she blurted out.

'_Normally an__ hour a day until I finished that one __yesterday__. Ruined a few before it __too__._'

'Really, Harry, I want to scold you for spending so much time... but I can't.' Tentatively, she sat down beside him after he shifted over slightly. 'I would give you a hug, but what do you want instead?'

He shook his head and wrote, '_What you've said is more than enough._'

There was something about his smile that seemed different when she raised her eyes, but she wasn't sure what. 'I really meant it,' she whispered, 'Show it to anyone and they'd say the same thing.'

Part of that made him blanch, but she didn't no what bit. Catching the concern she expressed, he scrawled, '_Please don't show it to anyone._'

'Why not?' The look on his face worried Hermione. She thought it must be like the intense look her parents said she took on when trying to do long division with three-digit numbers, except while also remembering about the time she caught her hand in the car door.

Eventually, his face slipped into one of indifference and he hunched over the page, carefully writing, '_You know my aunt, uncle and cousin are muggles, but __you don't know__ they don't like me because I can do magic, __because I'm different__. I know it's stupid, but I'm scared - I don't want my friends to know in case they act like my family __because they __think I'm "girly" (no offence) __or just plain strange __or something else__. Things are great and I don't want to risk that, for anything. __I mean, I even told the others I bought their Christmas cards by owl-order when they asked where I got them._'

'I...' she breathed. It was overwhelming for her, as both the reality of the words and their implications set in. The true value of the picture in her hands shocked her, realising she was probably the only other person to actually know she had something he drew, as well as the trust he was placing in her and in their friendship to keep that fact hidden. It also answered why he had stayed over Christmas and why he never sent a letter home - not that she had noticed either of those at the time. Horrid thoughts ran through her head when she wondered how much his relatives "didn't like" him, but she shook them off, knowing Harry to be strong enough to stand up for himself if he needed to. Finally, she ran through her own three deadly fears – loneliness, rejection, failure – and couldn't help but remember how scared she was when she encountered them. 'I promise,' she finally whispered, absently giving him a one armed hug before realising what she had done. She apologised and made a hasty exit. After a final, lingering gaze, she closed the door, holding her most treasured present firmly against her body as though it may slip away.

* * *

That horrible feeling of being unneeded grated away at Hermione while she sat on the closest armchair to the portrait-hole entrance of the Gryffindor common room. Harry had left an hour prior and still hadn't returned, though she knew he would only be back after midnight, which was still an hour away. The book on the last Goblin rebellion remained open, though she hadn't read a word. A few had given her odd looks, but only two of her room mates, Lavender and Parvati, had actually talked to her and they gave up quickly.

Ron walked out from the stairwell, heading to the portrait, bringing attention to himself in doing so. 'What're you doing? It's passed curfew,' she asked.

He continued onwards, saying, 'Harry's not here.'

Paling, her frantic brain drove on. 'He went to see Madam Pomfrey because he was feeling worse.'

'Oh,' Ron said, stopping, 'I hope he's okay. What am I saying, of course he will.' Turning back to the stairs, he bid goodnight and returned to the dorms.

'I'll have to tell Harry, otherwise he might get in trouble,' she muttered to herself.

Now calm, her brain started producing a list of places he could be. Her first thought was out on the grounds, near the forest to reduce the chance of someone seeing them, but she dismissed it since he would have to get outside and opening the large doors in the foyer would be much too noticeable, especially if Norbert was making noise all the way there as well. So if it was inside, then there was a whole host of possibilities. He would want it to be somewhere far from most of the teachers, she thought, which would make it a higher up floor. Her next method of deduction was how the others would get to him. It was obvious, to her, that they wouldn't be able to simply walk in, as that would require opening the gate, which was locked overnight, and mean they have to cross the grounds unnoticed by Filch or any other nocturnal teachers who may look out a window. If they couldn't enter by foot, then perhaps by broom, she proposed. That being the case, an upper floor would be better to make sure no one saw them arriving, in fact, the higher the better and nothing was higher than the towers, one in particular being perfect as it wouldn't be occupied by anyone at this time.

'That's it,' she again muttered, feeling triumphant.

Pressing her ear to the back of the portrait, no sounds gave away unwanted presences. She gently pushed it open, slinking into the dark corridor perforated by patches of moonlight. The Gryffindor tower was close to the astronomy tower and she shortly found herself climbing the spiral staircase to the walled roof where their telescopes were.

She nearly cried out from fright when her head peered through the doorway and her eyes found their professor bent over a complex looking collection of tubes and dials, all roughly aimed at the half-moon in the sky. Cursing her own stupidity, she silently closed the door, trotting back down the stairs.

At the end of their first lesson, Professor Sinistra had said that she spent most nights stargazing, trying to find the intricate patterns to the night sky's chaotic movement which was something only the adept centaurs knew. This left Hermione in a quandary as there were only four towers: Gryffindor's, Ravenclaw's, astronomy's and the headmaster's. With the three others inhabited and so unsuitable, she had no good ideas of where Harry was.

A mewing sounded, startling her out of thoughts and into a panic, Mrs Norris staring at her. This was the first time they had met, but Hermione had been told, and overheard, enough to know that Filch would be close by. Tentatively stepping backwards, she hoped the cat wouldn't follow her, but her hope was promptly dashed.

'Found a student, Mrs Norris?' echoed Filch's voice from around a corner behind the cat.

Deciding it was the only sensible and reasonable thing to do, Hermione turned and fled. The cat leapt into action, hissing loudly enough for Filch to hear and change to a run as well.

'Don't let them escape!'

Hermione wished she knew more about the castle this high up, taking sharp corners she hoped would throw off her pursuers. The light pitter patter of padded paws persisted though and she knew they would until she was caught.

The only way to escape, she thought, was to make it to the common room, where Filch couldn't get her in trouble for being in so late. It took her a few corridors to get her bearings, legs tiring faster and faster, but they held to take her to the portrait of the Fat Lady, the hidden entrance to their common room.

She was about to speak the password when she heard Filch, from just around the corner, exclaim, 'Mr Potter!'

Her brain cracked, unable to even try to think of what to do. Every rational part screamed to get inside, that there was no need to get both in trouble. The other crooned about their friendship, that if he was in her position, he would make sure she wasn't facing Filch alone.

In the end, it was decided for her as the portrait opened and Ron jumped out, crashing into her and bowling them both over, a smorgasbord of sounds attracting Filch over. 'Well, well, another two Gryffindors sneaking about after curfew. One would think you'd at least be sensible enough to sneak off to a broom cupboard during the day. Such a young age too – it's all those teenage magazines about sex and make-up and other nonsense.'

Hermione blushed profusely at the insinuations, while Ron was oblivious and said, 'But I only wanted to check on Harry in the infirmary.'

The smile on Filch's face could curdle milk. 'Mr Potter? Why, he's right as rain.' He motioned behind him to said boy, standing around looking bored.

Filch went on to shake his head, muttering about how responsible kids were back in his day, and noted their names, taking them to his office. Once there, he pulled out two new files, making a big deal of writing Ron and Hermione's names onto a small slip of parchment before sliding it into a holder. Three larger sheets of parchment were then taken out, details of their rule breaking put upon each and he slid one into two files before putting them into a small drawer labelled "1991 Students," from which he retrieved Harry's file and placed the final detention sheet inside and returned it.

'I'll be talking to Professor McGonagall tomorrow morning and get you your official detention slips for lunchtime. I'm pleased to inform you that standard practice for curfew breakers is helping Hagrid with his biweekly patrol of the Forbidden Forest. Something about learning what lurks in the darkness helps keep kids tucked up in their beds where they should be.'

By now, Ron had dipped to anxiety, avoiding looking at Filch at all costs. Hermione had taken it a little harder, hands trembling and eyes firmly locked on her shoes with the odd sniffle too. Filch, though, was worried about the placid Potter, hoping against hope that this one wouldn't cause as much trouble as his father.

He kept them no more, escorting them back to the common room. In her despair, Hermione made no attempt at isolating Harry and questioning him on the events of the night. Ron merely asked Harry if he was okay, getting a nod in reply, then went to sleep.

Soundlessly, Harry picked up some parchment and his pen from the bedside table. He pulled his curtains closed, sitting on his bed in the darkness and ignited the end of his wand, casting a gentle glow about the area. Finally, he proceeded to delicately graze lines and curves across the parchment.

* * *

Author notes

Horrible chapter to write, because I really have no idea if Hermione would act like she had during their dragon/drawing conversation. However, I pushed through (and rewrote it a couple of times) and am somewhat happy with it. Mute Harry as an artist was an early idea of mine and the reasons he gave were very much what I thought. It's very unlikely to be important to the adventure storyline, but may be important in the relationship side. Oh and if anyone is worried, Harry will be disciplining Hermione for her rather silly thought that she had to warn him and the like.

Onto unstory, so far no one has complained about the erratic (and slightly slowing) update schedule, but for any interested parties, the main reasons are losing a bit of steam and exams being over, which sounds odd, but it means I have more free time and so are more inclined to use it to read than write. It's something I'm trying to fix, but when there's so much good stuff vying for my attention, it's hard to say no.

Until next time, ponder what Harry truly did, because everything is not as straightforward as Hermione saw it. Another thing to ponder is two great audio mysteries that no one has, so far, picked up on, but I can reveal the answer is the recorder he usually keeps with him.


	9. In The Dark

Harry and Hermione walked into the great hall the next morning, a cursory nod sent to the gloomy Hagrid.

'Will you tell me what happened yesterday now?' she quietly asked as they sat down. He got out his notebook, setting it next to his plate and then got a couple of slices of toast and spooned some scrambled egg onto the one. 'Hurry up, I've been waiting since yesterday!' she hissed.

Sighing, he got his pen and wrote, '_Did you want me to tell you or did you want to work it out?_' He had her hooked and he knew it.

'I'll work it out,' she said, taking a pot of strawberry jam.

Harry ripped out a few sheets from his notebook and wrote a sentence on each before folding them up and titling them "first clue," "second clue" and so on. Once done, he handed them to Hermione, who pocketed them.

Rather than going to the library, to do the homework they would have done yesterday evening, they returned to the common room. It was nearly empty, most still eating, but quiet enough and they took up their usual seat on the far side by one of the few windows.

'Okay, so what I think happened was that, after leaving Hagrid's, you rushed off to get your cloak. Using that, you got Norbert out and hid him in the castle somewhere. At ten, you left to go get him and take him to Charlie, who flew in to meet you in one of the classrooms on the top floor, but I'm not sure which one. After that, you came back and ran into Filch when he was chasing me.'

He shook his head and scribbled, '_Not even close._'

She drooped. 'Well, what bit is wrong? I thought you might meet him outside, but it seemed much more risky.'

'_All of it – I'd say check the first clue,_' he wrote.

'Really?' she muttered, pulling out the pile of paper and opened the first.

She read, '_Nothing happened yesterday._'

It didn't make any sense, to her, as she knew something must have happened, otherwise Norbert would have been discovered or Harry wouldn't have been hiding in his dorm or he wouldn't have gone for a late night stroll. An odd thought popped into her head, one which said he didn't do anything, but someone else did.

'You were a distraction, while someone else was rescuing Norbert!'

He levelled his hand and tilted it from side to side, replying, '_Why did I go out last night then?_'

She pouted, pondering. 'You didn't have your cloak when you came back, so you lent it to whoever was helping to get Norbert to Charlie.' Shaking his head, he held up two fingers. 'Second clue it is then.'

The slip asked, '_Where was Hedwig?_'

'Hedwig?' Hermione postulated, herself confused. 'She was there though…' Running over yesterday, she added, 'No, she returned a bit after I finished the letter to Charlie. Wasn't she just out hunting?' He shook his head. 'So you had her take him another letter, but before mine?' A nod. 'Okay, now why would you do that? To tell him who would be handing over Norbert, where and when?'

He hesitated before writing, '_Yes, but not what you think._'

'Okay, so you told Charlie something. Since the one I sent was about doing something as soon as possible and nothing happened yesterday, yours was telling him to ignore mine and meet whoever wherever whenever you said?'

'_Focus on the first part__,_' he jotted.

'You just told him to ignore mine?' He nodded. 'But if he ignored it, then he would have only come today, thinking he'd meet Hagrid.' His smile snapped it into place. 'That's why you could only tell me now, because Norbert was still here last night!'

Laughing, he gestured down with his hands and she understood, calming herself. '_You know where he started and where he finished, now where was he between?_' he wrote.

'Whoever helped you could have taken him anywhere! I mean, I guess it would have to be a room that no one ever uses and would need to be kind of soundproof.' He held up three fingers. 'Really, you think I need a third clue to get this? Don't you have faith in me?' she swatted him when he shook his head. 'Meanie.'

The clue asked her, '_Why couldn't you find me?_'

'But, I did find you?' she uncertainly questioned.

'_Fred said my room mates told McGonagall __where I was__in front of you in the hall__._'

She grumbled, adding, 'I would have found you sooner if you didn't hide in such a stupidly obvious place.' The meaning of the clue started sinking in. 'Of course, when you lose something, it's always in the last place you expect it to be! But, the last place I would expect to find Norbert would be in Snape's office and I don't think you'd keep him there.'

He was shaking his head though. '_You're going off track. Go back to the clue._'

'Well,' she said for time, 'You were, erm, not really hiding and I was only looking for where you'd be hiding. I mean, it's a bit like when my gran can't find her glasses until someone tells her they're on top of her head.' He was concurring, willing her on. 'So, if Norbert was doing the same, he'd be where no one expected him to be, because they thought he'd be hiding somewhere else…' It struck her and she couldn't help but laugh. 'You didn't put him back in Hagrid's, did you?'

Harry shrugged, writing, '_My partner in crime did, but yeah, he took Norbert out before Snape got in and put him back when Snape left._'

'That's why you wanted Hagrid to stay away as much as he could, so no one would have a reason to go back to his hut. So, you were a distraction to make sure they thought Norbert was inside the castle.'

'_So far so good. __You've got Norbert down, now why did I leave the tower?_'

She thought about it for a bit, but didn't get anywhere, so he held up five fingers. 'Not clue four?' He shook his head.

It read, '_Why didn't I arrange a midnight meeting with Charlie?_'

'Well, I was having a real problem trying to think where you could be. I mean, I first went to astronomy tower, but Professor Sinistra was there and I wasn't really sure of anywhere else. I mean, no matter where it would have been really risky.'

He smiled and held up four fingers. She read, '_Why did I get you to send a note with Hedwig?_'

'Oh,' she muttered, 'I… I'm not sure.' Thinking back over his general plan of action thus far, she gingerly asked, 'It was to put them off the truth, right?' He nodded. 'Okay, so that means you wanted them to know. Of course! You wanted them to think we'd get Norbert out sooner, so then Hagrid could get him out really easily today!'

Harry chuckled at her, once again, escalating proclamations. He wrote, '___Right, now quiet down a bit. I was hoping ____someone would____ catch you, but never mind._'

Blushing at her own lack of discretion, Hermione pondered that latest puzzle piece and how it related to him being out and about. 'You weren't wearing your cloak when Filch caught you, so something must have happened to it.' He shook his head. 'But... you had it when you left and wouldn't have been caught if you had it. Unless... you wanted to be caught?' He nodded and she bit her lip, replaying the entire conversation so far. 'You wanted to be caught, so that they would know you had snuck out and so think Norbert was no longer here.'

He gave her two thumbs up and she melted into a grin. '___I wanted to be caught by Snape, but he was guarding the foyer and I didn't know any other ways outside so he could get me on the way back in. Filch was good enough though._'

'I just wish you'd show this sort of thinking in class, Mr Potter. The only thing left now is to tell me who your accomplice was.'

'___Only after you tell me why you came looking for me,_' he wrote.

She cringed, having realised how stupid she had been. 'Ron noticed you were missing and I told him you'd gone to see Madam Pomfrey. I, erm, thought I should warn you.' He couldn't help but laugh. 'What's so funny about that? I was only trying to be helpful!'

Gathering himself, he penned, '___You knew I was coming back and could've told me when I did. Also a little strange you brought Ron for company to find me._'

'I did not! Well, err, Mrs Norris started chasing me and I tried to get back, but Ron knocked us over when he was getting out.' Her face dropped. 'Now... now I've got a detention! Me, a detention! Professor McGonagall is going to be so upset with me.'

She jerked her hand back when Harry took it in his own and started massaging it, causing him to retreat back himself.

He started scrawling, but she hastily interrupted, quietly saying, 'Sorry, I didn't mean to jump, but I wasn't expecting it, that's all.'

Finishing it, he handed it over. '___Sorry,____ I saw some mum's do that when ____their____ kid was crying ____or upset ____and it seemed to help ____calm them down____._'

'Thanks,' she muttered, 'I was going a bit crazy, but I'm a bit, well, scared. I... I've never been in trouble before.'

* * *

True to Filch's word, the trio of Gryffindors received their detention slips from an unamused McGonagall, along with a loss of a hundred points between them – something Hermione took especially hard. They had a few pointed stares and snarls, until Harry kindly reminded them that Hermione had single-handedly earned a hundred points in her first term of school, while he had contributed to the quidditch wins of four-hundred points from the two matches. Of course, Ron still got a few glares, but the twins assured everyone their little brother wouldn't make the same mistake again, though it wasn't clear if they meant the sneaking out or the getting caught.

The twenty-first, and the night of their detention, arrived and began with Harry knocking on the groundskeeper's door a bit before ten in the evening.

'Harry, Hermione! Welcome, welcome. Guess I should be calling yer Mr Potter and Miss Granger for this. Mr Weasley, come in, we'll be off in a bi'.'

Ron, unprepared, found himself on the floor, having his face licked enthusiastically by Fang upon entering. Harry took pity and scratched the hound behind his ear, calming him down and letting Ron recover.

The little humour helped Hermione calm a little and she asked, 'When are we going, Hagrid?'

'We're jus' waiting on someone tha'll be joining us in the forest.'

She wondered who it was, until she realised who it most likely was. 'Malfoy?'

Harry and Ron snapped to attention. Hagrid grinned, replying, 'Aye.'

'That pompous big-head? Why's he coming?' Ron asked.

Hagrid replied, 'He's got detention with me,' while Harry wrote a quick note.

He handed it to Hermione, who read, '___I thought I was the pompous big-head?_' She smiled, a little giggle escaping.

A knock on the door sounded and Hagrid herded the three of them over. Opening it, the final member of their group stood there, quickly changing from a blank expression to, what Harry thought was, a well-practised sneer.

'So, Potter, Granger and Wesley, stopping by for tea are we?' Malfoy asked, stepping to the side while the group emerged.

'It's Weasley,' Ron spat.

Draco snapped his fingers, his voice taking an air of condescension as he said, 'Oh of course. Forgive me, but my father has taught me from a young age to only remember the names of important people.'

'Now, now, Mr Malfoy, none of that. Mr Potter, Miss Granger, Mr Weasley and you will be joinin' me in a walk aroun' the Forbidden Fores'.'

He blanched. 'But... Students aren't allowed in there.' The intonation made it more of a question than a statement.

'Don't worry, no 'arm will come to yer. The centaurs keep most of the bad stuff away from this par' of the fores' and sticking close to me and Fang will keep the res' away.' He finished his statement by pulling a massive crossbow from his back, sliding a bolt into place.

Despite his own fear, Ron jabbed, 'What's the matter, Malfoy?Scared of a few little animals? Maybe a bunny or a squirrel?'

'Not at all,' he replied, resuming his stiff posture and repeated the rehearsed retort, 'I merely do not wish to be in trouble over a technicality at a later date.'

'I've been doing this for years, firs' time with firsties for a while though. Still, jus' don't do anything stupid and we'll be back out in an hour or so. If yer get lost, send up some sparks and wait where yer are. Stay on the paths or yer'll find some of the plants aren' as tame as the ones in 'erbology. Las'ly, don't use the lumos spell – it'll attract the wrong sorts like moths to a flame. Any questions?'

They shook their heads in unison and Hagrid set off to a gap in the trees with a grunt. Though he was merely walking, the large strides set the children at a gentle jog to keep up. Each was thankful for the strong moonlight streaming through the branches overhead.

Deeper and deeper they went, with only the creature cacophony to accompany them. Every now and then, Hagrid would slow and examine tracks or signs of a disturbance. However, none seemed to worry him until Fang started whimpering over a trail of a glinting silver liquid.

'Oh my,' Hagrid quietly said.

'Wh-what is it?' Hermione asked.

He gulped before replying, 'Unicorn blood.' None knew what to do with that information. 'Doesn' look like another animal did i' though.'

'What do you mean?' She again asked.

'See, there's only two marks lef' here. The crescents from the unicorn, bu' the other looks like footprints.' He knelt down, dipping a finger into the start of the stream, rubbing the blood between his thumb and forefinger. 'Fresh too.' Standing back up, his crossbow became purposefully held aiming in front of him. 'Stay sharp, only the wrong sor' of people hunt unicorns.'

Understandably more nervous, the group moved at a slower speed, Hagrid putting a little more distance between himself and the students. He kept a keen eye on the trail ahead.

'Sp-sp-' Ron sputtered, colour draining from his face. 'Spider!' he screamed, turning and running through some shrubs.

'Dammit,' Hagrid cursed, turning on the spot. 'Back down the path, wai' for me to get yer and use fire if anythin' comes,' he shouted, shoving aside the greenery like it wasn't there. They started back, only stopping when startled by Hagrid roaring, 'Firenze!'

Hermione, Harry and Draco jogged down the path, eager to move swiftly without tripping on the encroaching vines and roots. However, it wasn't fast enough as they heard the light pattering behind them.

Harry slipped his wand out and slowed his step, falling behind the other two. He half turned, securing an eye on their hunched pursuer. Repeating those movements Hermione and he had practised, a gentle golden sheet burst into life. Hermione's distilled wisdom flickered in his mind, getting him twisting around and shifting his weight onto his front foot, awaiting the impact.

'Harry?' Hermione asked, pausing to look behind, only to be met by Harry waving his arm onwards. 'Harry,' she whispered, not knowing what to do and so simply complied, as she always did when things were happening too fast for her to process them.

Even braced, the impact nearly threw Harry, but the petty defence managed to bounce the creature back before buckling. The little time it bought was worth it, in Harry's opinion, but he felt nearly drained to exhaustion from holding it against that thing.

Winded, he eyed anything he could see while shifting wand swished and flicked, a rock darting in the air and into the leg then chin of the shade. It gave him a few more seconds, seconds he knew could give Hermione enough time, while the phantom howled.

A branch this time, only he brought it to head level. A pain started up, like pulling a muscle -a pounding inside of him. The stalker swatted aimlessly at the obscuring foliage and Harry quickly released it. Swiftly switching to a bare branch lying on the floor, he raised it enough to trip the miscreant, not that he could have managed it any higher, the internal ache intensifying.

There were no sounds of footsteps from behind him, which Harry took to mean Hermione had put a decent bit of distance between them in the short delays he brought. Taking a risk, he closed his eyes and focused everything he could on a moment of blinding light.

Seeing spots, Harry turned and ran as fast as he dared, keeping his feet high and scrambling up whenever debris caught him. His legs burning, knees bleeding, insides in spasms, he broke through into a small clearing, a mixture of relief and dread when he saw Hermione, hoping someone could save her.

Then his eyes closed, time drifting on.

'Oh Harry, please wake up.'

It was a familiar voice; a quiet, withdrawn, feminine, begging voice. He didn't know how long he had been asleep for, as he didn't even realise he had been asleep.

Feelings returned to limbs he forgot he had. Pain from his legs and feet was numbed by the contact he felt in his hand. Gently, he squeezed, eyes opening a crack.

Hermione let out a long breath. 'You had me so worried Mr Potter, so very worried,' she muttered, a tear spilling down her cheek before dropping onto his hand. Before the next one fell, he lifted his lead-like arm and brushed it away. Looking up at him, she couldn't help but return his smile, because she recognised it as a smile of relief and she thought it fitting to wear her own.

Slowly, his eyes fluttered closed again, falling back into a deep sleep.

'You can be so stupid, you know,' she whispered.

'Honestly,' Pomfrey said, slipping a potion down his throat, 'Only a Potter could come into my infirmary so battered and bruised and only be unconscious from magical exhaustion. Then again, it was only scrapes this time, so I guess I could cut him slack.'

She plumped up his pillows and applied an antiseptic salve to the scratches on his arms. Hermione lost herself for a moment, wondering what the different creams were for and nearly asking, but she held her tongue.

'He's going to be fine, Miss Granger, so either get in one of the beds or go up to your dorm. Before you ask, I do not permit people to share beds and I never will.'

Blushing, Hermione hastily took a neighbouring bed, softened by magic. It made her wonder why Harry was always so keen to get out, considering their own beds weren't close to as comfy as this. Then again, she had been present for some of the healer's more imaginative threats and couldn't blame the boy.

* * *

Hermione took in a calming breath. It was the last Saturday in March and she knew the deadline was fast approaching, so she couldn't put it off any longer. 'Harry,' she managed in a steady voice, before blurting, 'Did you want to stay at my house for Easter?'

Only afterwards did she realise she might have gone overboard as most of the common room had turned to face them, some of the older girls cooing.

'I mean,' she quietly said, her skin tinted red, 'We have a week off at Easter and I was wondering if you wanted to stay with me and my parents for it. I've already asked them and Professor McGonagall and they said it was fine, but you don't have to if you don't want to. I just thought you might like to meet my parents and have a bit of time away from the castle and-'

She hadn't realised she had been rambling, nor that she had slowly lowered her head and started fiddling with her hands. Meanwhile, Harry had nodded, only to sigh when she missed it, so he interrupted her by tapping one of her hands. Resuming eye contact, her blush deepened, as reality settled in, and he nodded again. Something akin to a squeal escaped her while she jumped up. She paused, very aware of Harry waving his hand in front of her face.

He pulled out his little notebook and pen, noting, '_Calm down so I can thank you._'

'Oh, right,' she muttered. 'Got a bit carried away, didn't I?' she added with a nervous laugh after.

'_Just a little,_' he wrote, a reassuring smile in place.

She leant back, sinking into the soft cushions. 'You're going to love it! My parents don't get much work around Easter, so one of them is home all day, sometimes both. Last year, we went on picnics and to the movies - three times in one week! Maybe we could even go camping; daddy said we could if the weather was good, but that was before you were coming, so I should probably check… What?'

Harry had been staring at her with that smile she couldn't place, so she responded by pouting. After a quick shake, having realised what she meant, he noted, '_Sorry, it's just really nice to see you so happy._'

'You mean that?' He nodded. 'You know, I'm trying very hard not to hug you right now.'

Scrawling a reply, he ripped out the page and handed it to her. '_You'll have to catch me first._'

Looking up, Harry had already dived into action, heading towards the portrait hole. 'Mr Potter, get back here!'

The rest of the common room dissolved into snickers and giggles while she bound after him. Despite her best effort, he was simply too fast, much too fast, and it didn't take long for her to completely lose sight of him. Guessing at where he was heading, since they often took this specific route, she soon found herself panting outside the library.

'He went that way,' Susan offered upon exiting, Hannah and Neville with her, pointing towards the staircase that led to the great hall and foyer.

'Th-anks,' Hermione wheezed before setting off at a noticeable slower pace. Reaching halfway down the stairs, she managed to get a glimpse of Harry before he slipped out into the early afternoon sun. On her second wind, she ploughed on, refraining from uttering a rather tame curse under her breath when she saw how much of a lead he had built.

Still, defeat wasn't something she was prepared to give into so easily. Briskly walking, she followed his distant body in the opposite directionof the lake, relieved as he was seemingly growing while the distance decreased.

After nearly completing a circuit of the castle, he snuck around a large rock by the lake. Though it obscured him from sight, there was no way he could slip away from where he was without her noticing – unless he dived into the lake itself, but given it was chilly and he was wearing a baggy pair of jeans and shirt, she thought it highly unlikely he would.

Determined to reclaim some of her lost dignity from the chase, she waited a minute to soothe her breathing and stalked around the side, listening for any sign of him trying to frighten her. All she could hear was the gentle lapping of water and tapping that must have been Harry.

'Boo!'

She found herself stunned rather than what she had hoped for.

'Boo yourself,' Susan said, Hannah, Neville and Harry grinning beside her, all sitting on a patchwork quilt of crimson and buttercup-yellow with a black trim.

'But..?'

Susan stood up and took her hand, pulling her over and down to complete the circle of five. 'Really, Hermione, you should be used to Harry pulling this kind of thing by now.'

'But..?' she again asked, her brain lagging.

Shaking her head, Susan answered, 'Harry told us to get down here on his way and he led you all the way around so we could without you seeing us.'

Harry passed over a short note. '_You mentioned your parents taking you on a picnic. We don't have food, but we do have friends and a transfigured blanket, will that do?_'

'Yes, Mr Potter, this will do,' she sternly stated, though she was rejoicing inside. Before she started at Hogwarts, she didn't have any friends; at Christmas, she thought she only had one friend; now, she had four friends, six if she counted Lavender and Parvati. It hadn't occurred to her before, but now that it had, it was wonderful.

'Not that I don't like peaceful silences or sitting around doing nothing, but did anyone have an idea of what to do?' Susan asked.

'W-we,' Neville stuttered, 'could skip stones?'

Quietly, Hannah added, 'Erm, I don't know what that is.'

'Neither do I. Could you tell us, or show us, Neville?' Susan asked.

'Sure,' he mumbled. Slowly, he pushed himself up, taking a few steps towards the lake. He picked up a flat rock and took a deep breath in, trying to forget that people were watching him, before whipping his arm. The stone went a bit high and he cringed, thinking he had messed it up, but it struck the surface and bounced back up, skimming the water a few more times before dropping below.

'Wow, Neville, that was awesome,' Hannah said.

'Is it hard to do?' Hermione asked.

Blushing at the praise Hannah gave, he answered Hermione, 'N-not really. You just need to get a f-flat stone and throw it across. It d-doesn't work if you throw it too high, but it can't be th-that hard if I can do it, can it?'

They weren't sure what to say, so Susan stepped up, having her own go. It only skipped the once, but it was enough to fill her with glee. 'I did it! I mean, it wasn't as good as yours Neville, but I did it!'

'You get b-better after doing it a bit.'

Harry finished off a little message, discretely handing it to Neville when the others stepped up the lake-edge. '_I'm rubbish at herbology. Hermione can't fly a broom to __save her life. Snape can't wash. Dumbledore is insane. __No one is perfect._'He continued on to join the girls, his own attempt failing miserable while Neville clenched the note in his hand.

* * *

Author notes

I'm not too sure what to say about this chapter. Harry's cunning plan is one of such great cunning that I hope I gave it justice while keeping Hermione in character as intelligent, but not omniscient nor infallible. Poor Harry has had to be quite grown up recently, so a little burst of childhood was long overdue in my opinion. These last few chaptershave mainly been about Hermione's growth of character and the next couple should show it, along with a bit from Neville and some more John.

Unstorily, a quick chapter at four days, so might still be hope for a biweekly updating schedule - if I stick to my writing times that is. I'm also wondering if I'm beingoptimal. My current goals are 5k words per chapter and a Wednesday/Saturday release, but with some mini-arcs being less or more, I'm wondering if chapters should be defined by story rather than word count. Also wondering if my Hagrid-speech actually adds or detracts from the story by requiring "translation". Anyway, those aren't important thoughts in the grand scheme of things, but are food for my thoughts and any views are appreciated.

So until next time (I'm hoping for Thursday or Friday), good luck with the nargles!

Edit: Pointed out by a reviewer, half the chapter was randomly italicised, which is annoying as my local copy wasn't and reuploads had the same problem. I'll double check future chapters to make sure the same doesn't happen.


	10. Sweet Dreams

On a crowded station, on the second Friday of April, 'Princess!'

'Daddy,' Hermione loudly whispered, 'Not in front of everyone.'

'Okay darling. Would you mind introducing me to your friend now?'

Her embarrassment forgotten, she formally stated, 'Harry, this is my father, David Granger. Father, this is my friend, Harry Potter.'

'A pleasure to meet you at last; Hermione has told us so much about you,' her father said, offering his hand. Hesitantly, Harry took it in a firm handshake, smiling politely.

'If that's all, I'm quite hungry.'

David chuckled, adding, 'Just like your mother. Did you need me to take your trunks?'

Hermione smirked, replying, 'No thanks daddy, Harry offered to be a gentleman and take both our trunks, didn't you?' She enjoyed watching him squirm.

'Yup, just like your mother,' David confirmed, picking up both trunks.

'Spoilsport,' she muttered, trotting after her father with Harry in tow.

* * *

'Cleo honey, I've returned! They were out of beef, so I brought children instead.'

The modestly sized house had a minimalist design, with emphasis on what was there rather than what wasn't. Most notable was the abundant amount of photographs, with whole walls dotted with pictures of the family of three in exotic locations, occasionally with an older member or two.

'Thanks David! Have them washed and glazed and I'll put them in for dinner,' she called from the kitchen.

'You heard your mother. Show Harry his room and the bathroom he'll be using, then right back here.'

Already dragging Harry up a flight of stairs, she said, 'Yes daddy.' Harry felt out of place in the middle of the room he would be sleeping in. There was a cosy looking bed, a sturdy writing desk, a wardrobe, two chests of drawers and even a thin bookcase, all for just him. 'Come on, we can unpack after dinner.'

He nodded, again finding himself being dragged. The bathroom was pointed out and then they were back downstairs, in the dining room. She put him in a seat beside herself and opposite her mother, her father taking the head of the table at his other side.

'Took your time,' Cleo muttered, Hermione rolling her eyes in response.

'Well, now we're all here, tuck in,' David proclaimed, impaling a sprig of broccoli. Quietly, he said to Harry, 'You don't have to eat anything you don't like and we can fix up some snacks later if you're hungry, okay?'

After dinner, a bit of television and some talking, Harry put on a pair of jogging bottoms and a long sleeved shirt that he used as pyjamas in his room. A knock on the door was followed by, 'Harry, can I come in?' He walked over and opened the door, smiling at the petite lady. Returning it, she dropped down onto her haunches, putting them at eye-level. 'I just wanted to tell you that, if you need anything, don't be scared to ask, even if we're asleep.'

He darted to the desk, writing, '_Thank you Mrs Granger,_' before bringing it back to the doorway and the amused mother.

'Not a problem, Harry, and call me Cleo; Mrs Granger is my mother-in-law.' She finished with a wink, earning a slight chuckle. 'Sweet dreams,' she whispered before standing up and closing the door.

* * *

Harry, having gone to bed earlier than he normally would, woke up at the crack of dawn. Silently escaping his room, he passed the bathroom and then continued on his way to the kitchen.

'Morning Harry,' David said from the spitting pan. 'Have a good sleep?' He turned, getting a nod from the boy before returning to the cooking. 'It'll be another ten minutes or so, but help yourself to some toast in the meantime. Or we've got cereal if you'd prefer?'

Harry shook his head, positioning himself on the opposite side of the kitchen where he looked at pictures from their Christmas holiday.

'Would you mind waking Hermione?' David requested after a few minutes. 'Thanks.'

The first knock didn't get a response, but the following one got a loud groan. A groggy girl opened the door, pausing to yawn, and asked, 'Breakfast?' He nodded and she pulled her dressing gown a bit tighter, tying the belt.

Back downstairs, they sat down again, Hermione getting into the seat beside her father after Harry took the other. Cleo joined them shortly after, muttering about beauty sleep. David watched Harry go through seconds, and then thirds, with veiled amusement, especially at how Hermione seemingly ignored it while suggesting a study schedule for the end of years tests.

'Well, now everyone is fed and watered, what should we do on this splendid Saturday?' David asked.

'Could we go to the movies? I was looking at a guide and Hook came out yesterday; it looks really good.'

Her parents shared a nod, Cleo saying, 'What did you think Harry?' He smiled politely and nodded. 'Okay, so the afternoon is sorted. Can we trust you two to occupy yourselves until then?' Hermione blushed as her mother's smirk gave away the insinuation, while it went over Harry's head.

* * *

David and Cleo were overjoyed at the enthusiasm of their daughter who practically hauled the poor boy to the confectionery section. 'It is rather fitting that our talkative little girl befriended someone who couldn't talk,' Cleo said, resting her head against her husband's shoulder.

'Indeed it is,' he vacantly agreed.

'Anything wrong?'

He gently shook his head. 'Thought it was strange how he seemed a little reluctant to get in the car and that he looked a little tense out on the street, that's all.'

'Well, he seems happy enough, but...' she trailed off.

'But there's something off, or am I just being paranoid?'

She lifted her head and shrugged, pulling her husband a step closer to the desk. 'Let's not be hasty in coming to any conclusions. I mean, his teachers are in a better position than us, aren't they? Hermione hasn't said anything either, has she?'

'You're right, dear, but you know I was made to worry. Someone has to, after all.'

* * *

Hermione woke in the middle of the night, her throat a bit dry. Reluctantly, she climbed out of bed, slipping her dressing gown on. She clumsily made it through to the kitchen, getting a small drink of water before returning. However, a rustling sound stopped her outside her bedroom door.

She listened, following her ears to the guest room. Closer now, it sounded more like intense writhing. Torn, she decided to check, softly knocking on his door and loudly whispering, 'Harry?' There wasn't any change but a dull thud of flesh on brick. 'Harry, I'm coming in,' she said a bit louder, slowly turning the handle.

He thrashed on the bed, face contorted in horror and hands clenched upon the sheets, flaying about, lips mouthing unuttered screams. Hermione closed the door and rushed to his side, wishing she knew what to do.

Clutching at a hand, trying to hold it still, she begged, 'Wake up, Harry,' before glancing around for anything to help. Finding nothing, she tried again, louder, 'Harry, wake up, please, wake up; it's only a nightmare, everything's okay.' She suppressed a cry when his other arm struck her.

A memory beset her and she began massaging his hand, continuing to whisper her pleas and reassurances. Her own heart beat ferociously as she watched his between erratic breaths.

His chest began to slow, tensed arms relaxing. Barely, his eyelids flickered. 'Harry, it's okay, it was just a dream,' she whispered. He seemingly accepted that, the last struggling of his body ceasing. His eyes open a crack, she smiled, what she had hoped was, a soothing smile.

Moonlight dripped through a gap in the curtains, bathing Hermione in its ethereal glow. Harry was drawn to red stripes across her cheek. Unconsciously, he raised his hand, tenderly touching it, causing her to flinch.

'It's a bit sore still.' He thought for a moment and then pointed to himself. She nodded, but quickly added, 'You were having a nightmare, you didn't mean to.' Unconvinced, he reached over and switched on a bedside light, shielding his eyes while they adjusted.

With the lamp, he could see three strips of scratched skin, speckles of blood at points. He shrank, pulling away from her and grabbing his notebook and pen. '_I'm so sorry,_' he wrote, tentatively turning it around so she could see.

'You didn't mean to, it doesn't matter,' she murmured. She shifted, sitting on the end of his bed, not wanting to leave yet hating intruding on him like this. After minutes of silence, she quietly asked, 'Did you want to talk about it? Your nightmare I mean. I'd always tell my mum about mine and then they wouldn't be so bad anymore, I think because I knew it wasn't real, like watching TV or something... I'm babbling again, aren't I?'

He managed a smile, nodding and then noted, '_It's okay, you should go back to bed._'

Softly, she asked, 'Do you have a lot of nightmares?'

'_I'm fine, really. It's late and we have to get up early for the picnic._'

'Why don't you want to talk about it?' Gently, she rose, walking along his bed until she looked down into his emerald eyes, but he didn't answer. 'You're not fine, you're selfish,' she hotly stated. 'You're always the hero. I know I'm not one, but now I can finally help you and you won't let me or tell me why. I trust you so much; I wish you would just trust me a little more.'

She took a step back, turning and staring up at her shadow on the far wall. She dared not look at him, fearful she would be scorned by her best friend. A tap on her shoulder made her turn around. Solemnly, he handed her his notebook and she read, '_It's a memory; it hurts to remember._'

'That's okay,' she whispered, 'It gets easier after you tell someone, I promise.'

She watched as he thought for a moment and then wrote something down, his face pained. Slowly, he passed it over and she read, '_I watched my best friend die when I was nine._'

She caught herself before she apologised, remembering about his parents, and again before leaning over and giving him a comforting hug. At a loss of what to do, she smiled and held her nerve, pushing further by asking, 'Could you tell me about it?'

He closed his eyes, thinking, remembering. Sluggishly, he wrote, '_Callum was hit by a car. It wasn't travelling fast, but it didn't get a chance to brake __and hit him hard__. He die__d__ in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. He was my brother in all but blood __and I still miss him so much it hurts._'

A couple of tears formed in her eye, dripping onto the page, as she read it, comparing it to what she imagined she would feel like if she lost Harry, especially in such a horrific way. 'Oh Harry,' she whispered, unable to stop herself from pulling him close and sobbing, muttering, 'It's okay to hurt,' over and over.

At first he tensed, unprepared and unwilling, but she refused to budge. He cautiously accepted the comfort forming from the regular pattern of her breaths. Over the next few minutes, he eased her off until she stood apart, looking sheepishly at her feet.

'Some friend I am, blubbering like a baby. I mean, I didn't even know him, but just thinking about it happening to you and I fall to pieces. I bet I didn't even help you feel any better after saying those mean things to get you to tell me earlier and I feel-' She paused momentarily, then said, 'I'm rambling again, sorry.'

Harry listened with good humour, writing a reply to her after picking the notebook from the floor. '_You __did__ help, thank you._' He was tempted, but decided against adding how nice it felt to know he wasn't weird for his feelings - that he wasn't a freak.

She looked up, that slightly different smile on his face, the one she liked more than the other. 'Thank you for letting me help you.' Her eyes wandered to a small clock sitting next to the lamp. 'I guess I should go back to bed, night.' He nodded as a reply and she walked to the door, silently opening it and tiptoeing back into her bedroom.

Meanwhile, Harry lay back in his own bed, staring up at the ceiling. His relief was being crowded by the doubts, the ones about whether he should have told her everything rather than just that extract. No matter how he looked at it though, he couldn't risk it, not while he thought she would tell someone.

* * *

The Sunday weather was sunny with a gentle breeze when the Grangers and guest laid out the large, navy blanket beneath a broad oak. An array of sandwiches were strewn about the paper plates, the four arranged in a semicircle.

'Such a shame so many kids spend all day in front of the television,' David sighed after only crumbs were left on his plate. 'Why, I remember when my friends and I would spend practically all day outside playing football.'

'That was a long time ago, daddy,' Hermione said, standing up and smoothing the crinkles from her baby blue dress.

Cleo chuckled, saying, 'She's right, you know. How many channels did we have when at school? Three?'

'It doesn't matter anyway, just means we get the whole park to ourselves,' Hermione stated. 'Now, may we have some bread to feed the ducks?'

'Of course, Princess,' David replied, removing a few slices from the hamper as well as the leftover crusts. Laden with duck food, she set off. 'Be careful, I hear they have piranhas now, so don't fall in.'

Without stopping, she turned and loudly said, 'Yes daddy,' before continuing on to the pond, Harry jogging beside her. Getting close, they slowed down and Hermione became quite amused by the mutual interest shown between the fowl and Harry as they eyed each other wearily.

She tossed a crust at the nearest one, laughing as a nearby one tried to snap it up. Harry seemed content to watch for the moment, so she sent another crust a bit further out to a group of new arrivals, getting a bit of squabbling until a young duck got it.

'Did you want a couple of slices?' she asked, flinging a small piece as far as she could. He nodded and copied her as she tore off a part of the bread. Simply throwing the feed and watching the gliding ducks left him content and he didn't know why. They both burst into laughter when one of the ducks flipped over, sticking its behind up while its head dived underwater. 'It's such a beautiful park. I'd walk through it everyday on my way home from school. I kinda miss it, but there's such pretty views from Hogwarts, so I don't mind, especially when I can still come to it when I'm at home.'

Taking what she said in, he threw the remnants of bread before taking out the little notebook and pen, sitting on the soft grass. He glanced around the scene, committing the key bits to memory and put the first few lines on the page.

She caught on after finishing with her own feed and carefully sat down next to him. 'Mr Potter, must you always solve my problems?'

Pausing from drawing, he flipped the page and wrote, '_A thank you for last night._'

Tutting, she said, 'No, Mr Potter, I don't need a thank you, because that's what friends are for.'

Smirking, he added, '_Good to know. You won't mind if I make a quick drawing __then__, since that's what friends are for?_'

She broke, giggling. 'You really are impossible. How long do you need?'

'_A few minutes,_' he jotted before flipping back and adding to the picture, casually flicking the scene into shape, Hermione watching, mesmerised.

* * *

After a fun filled first few days, Hermione revealed her planned revision schedule for the rest of the year, much to her parent's amusement and Harry's bemusement, considering the exams were still a couple of months away.

So it was that, after a long day of going over history, he collapsed in his bed, random facts swirling around his mind. The next day promised transfiguration and charms theory – they weren't allowed to use their wands outside of school until they were seventeen. Sighing, he thought it couldn't hurt to brush up a little until bed.

Popping open his trunk, he rummaged around, pulling out the traditionally blue book. He only realised that it was his father's second year book after getting back in bed. Deciding he was too lazy to swap it, he started flicking through the pages, reading the comments and notes scrawled on the pages from a time long ago.

One of his favourites was on a section about transfiguring while retaining properties, where his father made a note about producing a rose-scented glass figurine and wondering whether or not LE would like it.

Then, in a section about changing solid objects to include a vacuum, someone called SB suggested using it on Snivellus's chair legs to make them collapse. While it agreed with a lot of what McGonagall had told her about her father's antics, he hadn't known they specifically targeted anyone in particular.

Over the pages, he found more mentions of Snivellus, along with a RL and a PP to go with the SB. Based on what he had heard, he assumed that they were his father's three best friends - Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. Extending that, he thought it likely that LE was Lily Evans, his mother.

Some sections also had mentions of what Snivellus had done to them with suggested defensive measures against the stunt. One such was talk of a potion that quickly dissolved a person's clothing, which was prevented using a hasty transfiguration to alter the fabric.

While he read, he formed basic profiles of the four. Sirius was always advocating public humiliation of sorts, such as replacing the Slytherin table's goblets with transfigured dragon dung and reversing it in the middle of the meal. He was also the one who suggested most of the pranks on Snivellus.

Remus, on the other hand, preferred subtlety and avoiding targeting actual people, such as by changing the Slytherin banner into one about the YMCA, which he said those familiar with muggles would enjoy, while the pure-bloods would be clueless – his father additionally noted that the YMCA was an organisation of some sort and left it at that.

Peter was a mixture of the two, often putting forward suggestions that would single out someone for a long time, such as altering their robes to have "hex me" neatly sown onto their back, but without physically pranking them.

His father seemed to be the transfiguration practitioner, tweaking ideas and actually casting them. Given what McGonagall had said, he guessed his father was better than the others in that area, so they had probably played to their strengths.

It also seemed that it was mainly his father and Sirius bearing the brunt of retaliations, especially from Snivellus. One particular page had a mention of a hex that caused the person to randomly lose their balance. His father had made his robe as soft and thick as a duvet until Sirius had found the counter-curse for it.

However, it became much more serious towards the end, where there was a section on animagi. A couple of notes were about books on the subject and another stating that McGonagall was a cat animagus and that she learned as part of her transfiguration mastery for her final project, along with a reference to the dissertation she wrote on the subject. Additionally, there were messages wondering what animal each would be.

His father seemed to think Sirius would be a kitten or something else that looked cute, so he would get snuggled by the older girls. Meanwhile, Peter, he thought, would be a squirrel, as he enjoyed finding bits of gossip and hoarding them like nuts. There wasn't anything about Remus, but his father hoped that he himself would be a koala, since Lily had said it was her favourite animal, although he also said a dragon would be awesome.

Harry agreed with his father on that point. A few fragments mentioned there hadn't been an animagi who was a magical creature, but nor was there any reason that they had found that said it was impossible. Losing himself in thought, he imagined what life would be like as a snidget, the little bird that the snitch was based on. Whatever he was, he felt confident it would have wings of some kind and would probably be fast too.

Eventually, he eased out of the book, glancing at the clock and deciding it would be a good time to try and go to sleep. He resolved to spend a little more time going through the book again some time soon - it was the first hand-me-down he actually liked – and to write a letter to Remus Lupin.

* * *

It was with reluctance that Harry packed away his meagre belongings on Easter Sunday. Despite only being there for a week, and though he felt a bit selfish about it, he did think of it as his room now. He began to wonder if Hermione might invite him back over the summer holidays, which would be a great improvement to the Dursley's.

He crept downstairs, holding onto a few bits and pieces. As he had done every other day, he sat on the comfy sofa, a bit of sunlight filtering onto his feet. Today, he was determined to get a final draft written, since he knew he'd end up forgetting if he left it until back at school.

'_Dear Mr Lupin,_

'_My name is Harry Potter. I am writing to you to ask for a moment of your time, more if you are willing to spare it._

'_I hope I am correct in thinking you were a good friend of my father, James Potter, and knew my mother, Lily Evans, while attending Hogwarts. If not, please ignore the rest of this letter._

'_In case you did not know, I lost both my parents before I turned two. While Professor McGonagall informed me you had lost touch with them after school, there are relatively few people who knew my parents and, as far as I know, you are the only one left who knew them well as a friend, rather than a teacher._

'_If it is not too much to ask, I would very much like to hear some stories about my father and mother. I have his transfiguration book from second year, which mentions some of the pranks you, my father, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, as well as a few by a "Snivellus", pulled. There are also a few mentions of my mother, but Professor McGonagall told me they only really became a couple in the last year or two of school, so I don't know much more than her favourite animal being a koala._

'_Thank you for your time and I will fully understand if you do not wish to reply __or share your memories__._

'_Harry James Potter._'

After reading over it again, he carefully folded the slip of paper and lowered it into the trim envelope. Delicately, he printed "Remus Lupin" onto the front and found himself unsurprised by the tapping at the window.

With a smile, he slid the pane up and scratched the snowy owl. She nuzzled against his hand and gave him a playful nip. Putting down the message for the moment, he wrote, '_You really are the cleverest owl._' Hedwig puffed out her chest at the words of praise. '_Now then, did you need a drink or snack first?_'

She swivelled her head either side. Chuckling, he tied the letter to her leg. After a last nip, she jumped off the ledge, rising with a beat of her wings. He watched her soar into the distance.

'That was a beautiful owl, is it your Hedwig?'

The voice startled him and he turned quickly, relaxing as David stood smiling. He picked up his notebook and wrote, '_Yes, that was her, though sometimes I think I'm her pet really._'

David chuckled. 'Some animals are like that.' Walking back towards the kitchen, he added, 'Don't forget we're leaving at ten, but we're having a traditional Easter egg hunt, so make sure you're packed by eight.' After Harry nodded, David continued on to the kitchen.

A groggy Hermione joined them half an hour later, Cleo a little later. By half past seven, they were finished eating and David hustled the two children upstairs, forbidding them from coming down until called.

Harry took the time to sketch his room, including the view of the sunrise across a distant meadow. Hermione used it to finish off her packing, joining to watch him work for the last dozen or so minutes.

'Come on you two,' Cleo shouted from downstairs. Springing up, the two of them were shortly back in the dining room.

'Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to locate the only chocolate permitted in this household. You must accomplish this feat in under two hours or forfeit the sugary delicacy. What is your answer?'

Hermione huffed, saying, 'Daddy, you didn't tell us your name.'

'I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you.' She shook her head. 'Fine. I am the mad scientist Doctor Mike Teeser and this lovely woman is my assistant and wife Mel,' he said, motioning to Cleo at his side.

Smirking, Hermione asked, 'Mel Teeser?' Her father nodded. 'We accept. What can you tell us?'

David bridged his fingers and furrowed his eyebrows. 'I am afraid we do not know much, but what we do know is that the evil villain, because you never get a good villain, was seen drinking a glass of milk.'

She immediately set off, Harry following shortly behind.

'Well now, that's them done for the next couple of hours. Did we have any other pressing, evil plans to foil?' David asked.

Cleo pulled out the chair beside him, dropping into it. 'We could try to do something about the evil plan to take our precious daughter away from us for another couple of months.'

He chuckled, leaning over and pulling her into a hug. 'I'll miss her too,' he whispered.

Harry and Hermione continued gallivanting around the house, following the clues given at each point to various and obscure points, ranging from the cutlery draw to a specific garden gnome, of the non-magical variety, to down the back of the sofa.

Eventually, they converged on a small cupboard Hermione's parents used to store odd bits of dentistry kit. '_Seek the one with the key to get your hands __all __chocolatey,_' read a post-it on the door.

Returning to the dining room, she coughed loudly to get her parents attention. 'We have come to seek the one with the key.'

'That would be me,' Cleo said, removing a key from her pocket. David joined them as they all went back to the cupboard and Cleo opened it. 'A chocolate egg each, from us, another one each, from a Miss Bones and Miss Abbott, and finally two chocolate frogs each, from a Mister Longbottom.'

'What better place to store chocolate than in a place devoted to good oral hygiene?' David rhetorically asked, grinning.

* * *

'"Parting is such sweet sorrow,"' Cleo muttered, watching Harry and Hermione meet up with Neville.

David kissed her forehead. 'It seems like only yesterday she came to us crying, worried that she wouldn't make any friends or that she wasn't a witch and it was all a big mistake or that she didn't know whether or not lumos was pronounced with a long "oo".'

'Soon she won't even need us. What will we do then? I'm too young to surround myself with cats and call them my children.'

'How about we take that long awaited honeymoon across France?'

She held him a little closer in their one-armed embrace. 'I'd like that, but only if you promise to stay off the smelly cheeses.'

'One of these days I'll convert you,' he said, waving at Hermione while she climbed into an apartment, followed by Harry. 'He's such a quiet boy, even for someone who doesn't speak.'

'Not once did he ask me for anything except permission to do something he didn't need to, like having a glass of juice or making himself a bowl of cereal,' she murmured.

They stood in thought for a few minutes, watching as the magical platform that was nine and three-quarters further fill with oddly dressed people. 'For someone raised without awareness of magic, he is quite... reserved. Why do you think?'

'"A little more than kin, and less than kind,"' she whispered.

'You must be more melancholy than I thought to be so Shakespearean.' Another few minutes dripped by. 'I think it is not our place to call his relatives uncaring for being strict. Even if they were, he has no one else and he seems happy enough.'

Cleo waited a moment, then coldly said, 'A happy child doesn't have three nightmares across nine nights.'

'I agree, but with what we overheard, can you blame him? We could ask child services to check, however we've only known him a week.'

Groans of steel sounded, the lumbering locomotive puffing steam and gently beginning. 'If they... I could never forgive myself, as a mother and a human.'

'Nor could I,' he concurred, then added, 'Perhaps we could look into inviting him to come stay, along with some of her other friends, over the summer?'

Slowly returning to their car, she soberly quoted, '"Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie."'

* * *

Author notes

Meet the Granger's, David and Cleo. A slow chapter before the end of year begins and things start to speed up. Several sub-plots have bubbled up, stretching from the short to longer term, while also teasing about Harry's past, all for my own amusement.

Unstorily, I probably would have been able to get this done last night, but I was ambushed by mechanics and physics homework. However, I still met my self-imposed deadline, so I think Wednesday should be very much possible for the next instalment without a problem.

Until then, "be not afraid of greatness," nor crumple-horned snorkacks (they like to snuggle).


	11. Studying

Harry had been back at Hogwarts for a day when Hedwig dropped in at dinner; Hermione hadn't yet arrived, having gone passed the owlery to write a quick message to her parents. He wasn't sure why, but he had been concerned about Hedwig since mid-afternoon, almost knowing something was wrong. The ruffled feathers and unusual flight did nothing to ease him.

As soon as she landed, he set about smoothing her plumage and giving her a bit of food. In return, she gobbled it up and nuzzled against him, falling into a light sleep. Hesitantly, he unhooked the letter, hoping that it wasn't Lupin who had gotten her into that state, and began to read it.

'_Dear Mr Potter,_

'_While I appreciate the courage it must have taken to make such a request, it is my responsibility to inform you that, due to a long-term affliction of mine, I am not permitted to be in contact with you. If you have any more questions __regarding__ this, I __highly __suggest you discuss them with __your headmaster __Professor__ Dumbledore._

_'__Regards, __R.J.__ Lupin._'

It was a strange reply, he thought, for a few reasons. He found it most odd that it had come back so quick, considering he thought Lupin was abroad and even France should have taken a couple of days, though he conceded Lupin may have been in Ireland. What was only slightly less odd was that he couldn't think of an affliction that wouldn't permit written contact. Hedwig, he knew, was a tough bird, so for her to have encountered something that threatened her seemed bizarre, especially when nothing hunted owls.

His feelings on the message itself were mixed. The first line was most definitely a compliment and Lupin had explained, slightly, why he could not reply, not simply stated that he was not going to or that he did not wish to. He thought he may be reading too much into it, but he reasoned that it would have been much easier to merely say, 'I do not wish to reply,' or, 'I can not reply.' That Lupin had given him the means to check he told the truth meant a lot and, along with the way he was addressed as more an equal than a child, made Harry think highly of Lupin and that Lupin would have liked to reply.

A nip brought him back to the real world and he smiled at his owl. Getting his notebook and pen out, he jotted, '_Are you injured at all?_' Hedwig swivelled her head either side. '_Was it Mr Lupin who did it?_' Again, she shook her head in the way owls did. '_Was it another bird?_' Another owl-shake of the head. '_Was it a human?_' This time her head bobbed. It was troubling news for Harry. '_Did they read the letter?_' Another owl-nod. '_Did they change it in any way?_' An owl-shake.

He took a break from the questioning to read over the letter, pondering why someone would intercept this particular letter rather than the other ones. 'Erm, Mr Potter?' spoke a timid voice. Harry turned, facing a small girl from Ravenclaw with tinted skin and black hair, bearing a striking resemblance to one of the Gryffindor girls. 'Headmaster Dumbledore has requested your presence after dinner. The password for tonight only is Maltesers.'

Within seconds she had fled back to the Ravenclaw table, leaving Harry with only one last question for Hedwig. '_Was it Dumbledore?_'

* * *

'Harry my boy, it is good to see you! I do hope you enjoyed your break over Easter?'

Slowly, Harry breathed deeply, keeping his calm. '_Please, sir, Mr Potter,_' he wrote, firmly placing it on the desk.

'Of course, forgive an old man for forgetting decorum amongst the students he cares about.' Casually, Dumbledore picked up a bowl and tilted it towards Harry, adding, 'A lemon drop?'

Biting back the smirk, Harry kept himself from writing, '_My aunty always told me to accept candy from strange __men__,_' instead only shaking his head.

'Very well.' The headmaster returned the bowl, taking his time to slowly ease back in his chair, his good nature slipping into one of concern. 'You are not doubt wondering why I have invited you here. I am afraid that it is a more serious discussion than one I would like to have with someone so young. You see, while I appreciate your friendship with Ms Granger, I must ask you refrain from visiting her without suitable supervision.'

Dumbledore was most lucky that, at that moment in time, Harry was not familiar with any particularly interesting hexes or curses and so had to limit himself to a look of extreme hatred.

'I know it seems unreasonable of me to ask, but I solely have your best interests at heart. Our discussion before Christmas, I thought, had made the seriousness of your life a reality, but I have myself alone to blame. Most prominently, as only muggles, they would have been unable to protect you from an attack by dark wizards who wished you harm. On top of that, as only muggles, they could have easily been influenced to harm you using any number of techniques that only those with magic can overcome. Luckily, neither happened this time. I do not wish to make you fearful, merely reasonable. If you wished to leave the castle during holidays, we could always arrange for a day trip to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade with an escort.'

Harry was wondering if he could ask the twins for suggestions of good spells to learn. He wrote, '_Mr and Mrs Granger treated me with more kindness and respect __than I thought possible, __sir,__ and would very much like you to never again call them "only muggles." The Dursleys also have no magic, so is the same not true for them?_'

'The wards protecting you there would prevent the mishaps I mentioned, being as extensive as they are.'

'_So if there were strong wards around the Grangers' house as well, then it wouldn't be a problem, __sir__?_'

Dumbledore shifted in his chair, leaning forwards and resting his elbows on the desk, looking over the top of his half-moon spectacles straight into Harry's eyes. 'In theory, however the wards around the home of the Dursleys were erected by strong blood magic, built by your mother's sacrifice. As I said that night, they are unequalled in their protection.'

A plan of sorts sprouted in Harry's mind, but he decided to place it aside for the moment. He broke eye-contact with the headmaster, a gentle headache he didn't realise he had easing, to write, '_Could Professor McGonagall __please __join us, sir?_'

'May I ask why? If it is regarding the nature of this conversation, I have already talked to her about the slip in her duties and she has assured me it won't be repeated again.'

Calmly, Harry jotted, '_I would like her opinion on something different._'

'Something which you could not share with me alone?' Harry shook his head. 'Very well, she will be arriving shortly. Is there something you wish to discuss until then?' He shook his head again and they waited in silence until Dumbledore said, 'Come in,' just before a knock sounded. 'Good evening Minerva, I hope we haven't disturbed you from anything important?'

'Not at all Albus,' she said. 'May I ask why I am here?'

Dumbledore smiled, motioning to Harry. 'Mr Potter has requested your presence while presenting a problem.'

'Very well,' she replied, confused, and took the seat beside Harry.

Harry took two notes out of his pocket, handing one to McGonagall and putting the other on the headmaster's desk. Curious, she read, '_Headmaster, could you tell me why you stopped Hedwig, my owl, and read the letter she was delivering to me, making her very upset?_'

It stunned her for a moment, but after so much time dealing with teenagers, she swiftly regained her composure and wits. Ensuring this wasn't a ruse, she leaned over and read the other message to the headmaster, it matching her own. Concern was lit in her mind.

'As your magical guardian, it is well within my rights to ensure any mail sent to you is not at all harmful, either physically or mentally,' was his stern response.

'It is also Mr Potter's right to know that you were doing so,' McGonagall sharply stated.

Slowly, Dumbledore removed his glasses, rubbing his temple slightly. 'All I have wished is that he may lead a normal life. It pains me to say a fraction of the letters addressed to him contained traces of dark magic.'

She held back from countering, noticing that Harry was writing. Once done, he placed the note sideways on the edge of the desk so both could read it easily. '_Mr Lupin told me to ask you about his affliction. Could you tell me?_'

'I believe you have read more into the note than he intended. Remus was simply ensuring you wouldn't try to communicate with him further without my approval first.'

'_Then m__ay I have your approval, sir?_' Harry wrote, placing it where the other note had been.

Dumbledore once more eased back into his chair, a relaxed demeanour in place. 'Perhaps when you are older. There is much more to the magical world than you see and this is an area where you will have to trust me it is in your best interests to wait until you are more familiar with it.'

McGonagall had been ready to step in and berate the headmaster, but she let Harry continue, curious at the peculiar choices of questions. Harry slid the note, tilted slightly more at Dumbledore this time. '_Would I be allowed to go to Neville's house over summer then? __I'm sure I could learn a lot more if I stay with people who have grown up with magic, even if it's just for a few days._'

Both adults were unprepared for the change, but Dumbledore showed none of it. 'Perhaps for the day a couple of times, but as it is just himself and his grandmother, a suitable minder will be required in case of an emergency. If you truly wish this, I will talk to Augusta and arrange some days for you to visit – would you like that?'

'_I would like that very much, sir. Could I go now? I wanted to send Mr and Mrs Granger a thank __you letter for having me before curfew._'

'You are free to go if you have nothing else to discuss, my boy,' Dumbledore kindly said with a smile and twinkling eyes.

* * *

The weeks rolled on with Harry, Hermione, Neville, Susan and Hannah often finding themselves in the shadow of the large rock by the lake in the afternoons, though Hermione ensured it was always productively spent. Eventually April gave way to May and the announcements about exam scheduling.

One such morning, Harry groaned at the mental and physical aches. Hermione had made sure that the extensive quidditch training, for the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup against Ravenclaw, didn't interrupt his revision. The match itself was two weeks away and, much to his displeasure, the ministry had pushed the dates for the OWL and NEWT exams back, meaning that the exams for the rest of the school were brought forwards.

He had, somehow, managed to convince Hermione that they would manage to get enough work done despite the loss of a month of preparation time. Picking himself up off the bed, he trekked down to the common room and the awaiting girl in question along with Neville. Having long since returned to his later bedtimes, he was often the last awake amongst their motley group.

'Morning Harry,' Neville quietly said, shuffling some sheets of parchment. 'Hermione's suggested we go o-over herbology today and p-potions tomorrow.'

'They are our first exams after all,' she pointed out.

The two boys nodded in agreement and, after a hasty breakfast, Harry found himself reading through details on a whole range of plants they had studied over the year, being primarily theory led. Soon he was lost in the mass of information they were expected to recall.

'_Mind __reminding me about Devil's Snare?_' Harry scribbled, passing it over to Neville.

He looked back at Harry and subtly pointed to Hermione, but Harry shook his head. 'D-Devil's Snare picks up m-moving animals using f-fine hairs on its above-ground r-roots and tries to c-catch them using the roots. If they d-do, they wrap around and k-kill it, letting it decompose for nutrients. It hates light, so is n-normally found in caves and thick forests. This means a strong light or flame spell can keep them off you.'

Hermione had picked up a book and been looking through it, stopping on a page. Once he had finished, she said, 'Spot on Neville.' He blushed, murmuring something, before going back to some notes he had been writing.

The hours rolled on into lunch, switching them into the library afterwards, where Hannah and Susanne joined them. Hannah was also knowledgeable in the realm of herbology, finding herself and Neville being the primary focus of any questions, including a select few from a Hermione who was very embarrassed about not knowing the answers herself.

Any hope Harry had of relaxation was dashed after dinner, when Wood, in no uncertain terms, insisted on drilling the team until they broke from exhaustion - something which caused Alicia's cheeks to take on a rosy tinge, much to the other two chasers' amusement – as it was the last chance they would get before the match.

If Harry had the energy to, he would have wished that he was feeling only as tender as he had that morning, rather than being composed of lead like he had upon returning. It was only through careful balancing and determination that he collapsed face-up on his bed, fully clothed and already asleep.

Morning seemingly came several hours earlier than normal for the battered boy when he begrudgingly opened his eyes. Choosing the lesser of two evils, he pulled the curtains around his bed shut, keeping the sunlight out, and wondered how long Hermione would let him rest.

Based on the rumbling stomach waking him up, he guessed it must have been a good few hours. Gingerly making his way down to the hall, he spared a glare at Wood, getting a chuckle from Neville and Hermione. The upbeat twins were downtrodden; the chaser trio were passive rather than bubbly; Wood was amicably chatting to a couple of other fifth years about quidditch tactics, looking rather peachy, much to the rest of the teams annoyance.

* * *

The herbology exam the next morning, as far as Harry was concerned, was horrible. He stumbled out of the darkened greenhouse and into the bright sunshine hoping he at least managed a passing grade. Neville and Hermione looked quite chipper, so he mock pouted at them and, after they asked him how he thought it went, started walking off to the castle alone. It only took a few seconds before he had both arms grabbed, being pulled towards the lake.

'We're going on a picnic of potions revision, Mr Potter,' Hermione sternly stated, tugging him further against his will, 'which you are most certainly attending.'

Submitting, he eased up his resistance and walked in step with them to the rock they had claimed. On the other side, Susan and Hannah awaited, sitting on an oblong black rug with a yellow trim.

'Oh come on you two, I thought we were going to have the same blanket as last time?' Hermione asked.

Blushing, Susan mumbled, 'Some of us aren't that good at transfiguration.' Harry chuckled, touching his wand to a corner, the rug taking on a thinner, squarer shape, along with alternating parts lightening to crimson and yellow, the trim darkening to black. 'Show off,' she grumbled, her authenticity offset by her grin. In reply, Harry stuck his tongue out, setting the others laughing.

'Now, before we get too carried away, potions tomorrow.' Hermione was met by a round of groans, Neville noticeably turning a shade paler. 'Come on, it won't be that bad. He is being kinda fair now after all.'

'I've still b-blown up four cauldrons s-since then,' Neville stuttered.

Hannah quietly added, 'Two for me.'

After a sigh, Hermione said, 'Well, hopefully by tomorrow you both will feel confident enough to leave your cauldrons in one piece.'

Harry wrote, '_Seems she doesn't know about easy-clean two-piece cauldrons._' Neville managed to hide the snicker, but not the grin.

Oblivious to their lack of attention, Hermione had switched to, what the others had nicknamed, Professor Granger mode, whereby she pulled out a few books and notes, reading what she thought were important points and likely potions they would have to brew for the practical test. Being the good students they were, the other four attempted to write what she said, but only Harry could keep up. Thus it was that, an hour and a half later, they trundled up to the hall, only Hermione lacking a pained hand.

The excessive fact gathering continued after lunch, stopping by the library so Hermione could get a couple of obscure books on stirring technique, just in case they came up. It would have taken up the whole afternoon if she had had her way, but Susan insisted they took a swimming break.

This left Harry very nervous. Hermione was still packing the last of her books into her bag; Susan and Hannah had already left to go to their dorms to get their swimming costumes on. Neville looked at Harry and asked, 'What's the problem?'

Taking a calming breath, Harry felt incredibly stupid as he wrote, '_I don't know how to swim._'

Neville read the note and started chuckling. Seeing Harry's scowl, he said, 'W-we can teach you. I've g-got spare swimming trunks, if you need.' Grateful, Harry nodded. Hermione finished packing shortly after that and they headed back to their dorms, getting changed quickly and returning to the lake.

The two Hufflepuffs were already there and in the water. 'Come on, it's great!' Susan shouted, before turning to retaliate to Hannah's splash.

It was with reluctance that Harry followed Neville and Hermione into the wonderfully cool water. They waded in until it was waist high; at this point Neville told the others.

'Well, well, a spiffing day to learn I must say,' Susan regally admired.

Only now he couldn't reply did Harry realise how exposed he felt, with neither wand nor pen to defend himself.

'Compliments to Susanne for a mighty accurate observation,' Hermione poshly added.

Susan awkwardly curtsied. An unwelcome voice cut through the scene, saying, 'Look what we have here, a bunch of babies splashing about in the water.' No one turned to look at Draco, hoping they would be lucky this time. 'Honestly, ignoring someone and hoping they'll go away? How childish can you get?'

'There's room on the other side of the lake if you wanted to swim, otherwise we're busy and would appreciate being left alone,' Hermione tensely said.

'Busy doing what? Cleaning the filth off? It'll take more than a bit of water to do that.'

Harry was being held back by Hermione and Neville. Susan curtly said, 'We're teaching Harry to swim, so could you please leave.'

'You mean that worthless half-blood can't even swim?' Draco managed while laughing. 'I know they aren't as good at magic, but Merlin, everything else too? What's next, gonna need you to show him how to use the potty?'

No longer was Hermione holding Harry back as she stormed through the shallows to the wheezing Draco. His two cronies stood slightly behind him, as always, though they didn't react to the approaching girl.

The others cringed at the sound of the wet slap. 'Draco Malfoy, you will get the hell away from us or so help me I'll make sure you couldn't swim even if you wanted to.' There were a couple of tears in his eyes as he backed up, Crabbe and Goyle barely moving to permit him between them. He started stuttering about telling what she did, but Hermione spoke over him, saying, 'Yes, go tell everyone that a muggleborn witch made you cry from a slap after you insulted her best friend - that'll really get everyone on your side.'

She turned on the spot, trusting her friends to warn her of any attempts at revenge. By the time she re-joined them in the water, the Slytherin trio were halfway to the castle. Adrenalin falling, she started rubbing her hand, releasing small groans of pain and hyperventilating slightly as she realised how much trouble she could get in.

Neville amusedly watched Harry move in front of Hermione, only to do nothing else as all he could do is stand there smiling at her. 'I think what H-Harry wants to say is "thank you" and I want t-to say, "wow."'

'Seconded,' Susan said.

'Thirded,' Hannah added.

Hermione blushed, mumbling, 'It was nothing.'

Susan splashed her, getting a glare back. 'It was not nothing! You didn't even have your wand on you.'

'I-' she paused, gulping, 'I just did what Harry would have done if… if Malfoy had insulted me like that.'

It was Harry's turn to blush. 'I'm pretty sure Malfoy would've g-gotten more than just a slap,' Neville said, grinning.

Hermione chuckled. 'I suppose. What do you think, Harry?' Now grinning himself, he splashed Hermione before turning and attempting to run away. 'So that's how you want to play, Mr Potter!'

* * *

Harry thought he was likely jinxing it, but he felt that the written part of the potions test had gone well. There was a subtle irony, as far as he was concerned, because the first part of the test was about the forgetfulness potion and asked him to recall the primary ingredients and method of brewing, along with its duration and potency.

Knowing the practical part could end before it began, he breathed a sigh of relief when handed back his recipe and told to begin. Seeing the same happen to Neville, he thought Susan was right to push for a bit of time to relax after their extensive revision. The real icing on the cake for Harry was hearing Professor Snape quietly tell Draco that he missed a crucial step and would be unable to start until it was remembered. Of course, when Crabbe, Goyle and Ron were asked to leave, it wasn't at all unexpected.

After a half-hour of cautious slicing, dicing, stirring and heating, Harry walked out the door, ecstatic that the colour and consistency matched what he remembered they should. Hermione and Neville were still finishing off, Hermione having spent longer on the written part and Neville being twice as careful with preparing his ingredients beforehand. As they had promised, he went back to their place by the lake, getting curious looks from Susan and Hannah.

'I take it all went well, Harold?' Susan pompously asked.

Harry sat down on the grass, leaning back against the rock and pulling his tatty trainers and socks off. Taking out his pad, he wrote, '_Susanne, I brewed a most beautiful forgetfulness potion, I think._'

'You think you did?' she asked, confused.

'_Well, you see, I can't remember __exactly__,_' he penned, making sure he was standing and out of arms reach before the two girls finished reading.

They both groaned, Hannah muttering, 'That was terrible.'

Susan had stepped forward to swat his arm, but he slipped back. 'Stay still!' she shouted, attempting to catch him, failing to keep up. 'Come on,' she begged, 'Just a little one so you learn your lesson.'

They careered around the lakeside; Hannah couldn't help but giggle as Harry teased his pursuer: slowing and speeding up at the right times to throw her off balance; jogging backwards, beckoning her and sticking his tongue out at her; splashing her in the shallows.

'Give me a hand!' Susan shouted over, the pair of them running towards Hannah.

After a quarter of an hour, Hermione, Neville and McGonagall found the three of them panting and lying down with their faces in the shade of the rock. 'Afternoon,' Hermione said.

'Harold sure can… run fast,' Susan replied between breaths.

McGonagall sighed, saying, 'I knew the son of James Potter would have girls chasing him, but I didn't realise so soon.'

'Professor!' Hermione blurted, shocked at the statement. Harry found his face, which was already red from the exercise, a deeper shade of crimson.

'Your curfew exemption permit for the astronomy exam tomorrow night,' McGonagall said while handing a small slip of paper to Harry. 'Have a good afternoon.' She turned and started walking back to the school, pausing for a moment to add, 'Try to stay out of trouble.'

* * *

'Merlin visited every magical jail setting up new protections.' Harry turned around and looked up at John. 'Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. Astronomy exam tonight after all.'

He nodded, getting his notebook out from under one of the scattered books on the common room table while John walked around to the chair on the other side. '_I __like__ "__My very educated mother just served us nine pizzas__" __- Hermione found it in her dad's old physics book._'

'Not bad. Anyway, I'm organising a last minute study session for the other firsties if you had any questions. Nothing like a bit of practice teaching kids before I start my summer job after all.'

'_What will you be teaching?_' Harry wrote.

John grinned, replying, 'Basically stargazing. It was a bit hard to get without any muggle qualifications, but I stopped by over Easter and showed them I knew my stuff. So, for three weeks, I'll be spending a couple of hours a day teaching kids to identify the planets through a telescope and draw maps of the solar system at physics summer camp. Fun or what?'

While he spoke, Harry noted, '_Muggle?_'

'Not much opportunity for teaching in the magical world. Besides, it's not like I need the money. I mean, with magic, I could build a house by myself in a few weeks. Using some herbology spells, I could grow my own food. Even fixing my clothes means I wouldn't need to buy new ones unless I did something stupid.'

'_Thought about it much?_' he scribbled.

After a short laugh, John replied, 'Wasn't it you who told me to think a little more? Well, that's what I've been doing. It'll take me a while, but a few cousins have agreed to tutor me so I can get the qualifications I need to be a proper teacher after working hard for some more years.'

Harry thought about what to say, but only the one thing seemed to fit and so he wrote it. '_Good luck._'

'Thanks. So, will I be seeing you in my class? Hermione can come as well if you see her before me.' After a pause for thought, Harry nodded. 'I've stolen the room at the base of astronomy tower, opposite the staircase. Class starts at five sharp,' John mock-sternly finished.

* * *

Author notes

Studying and examinations aplenty along with mandatory fun too, along with Dumbles being his usual self and McGonagall growing curious. While I didn't get quite as much Neville in as I would have liked, I couldn't include him anymore without forcing him into conversation I don't think he would engage in. As for John, I am still in two minds about his relative obscurity after the beginning, but since there are no canon seventh year Gryffindors, an OC it had to be.

Unstorily, I was thinking about splitting this chapter into two distinct parts, that being pre-exam time (ie rest of April and beginning of May) and then during exam time, but it is quite boring to write about and I think read, so I meshed the two somewhat, though it is still a little shorter than most. Also, on my target of Wednesday release, so Saturday for the next instalment hopefully!

Until next time, no matter how much Gred or Forge tell you to, never let a niffler loose in Gringotts.


	12. Unknown

During Wednesday afternoon, before astronomy, Harry had his DADA test. Quirrel had acted strangely: much more easily startled and very jittery. When it came to the practical portion, he partnered everyone up and made his way around watching the pairs cast a handful of basic spells, such as lumos and rictusempra. Once that was done, he dismissed them, going through a door at the back of the class into his office, where a few boxes could be seen.

Dinner began later on, but something was bothering Harry. Opposite him, Hermione was absently eating while wondering what transfiguration and charms would bring; Neville, beside Harry, was pushing his food around, more nervous about the awaiting tests after struggling with his DADA one. Susan and Hannah were discussing what they would be doing over the summer over on the Hufflepuff table.

When Hedwig dropped by, Harry's thoughts dropped into place. He glanced up at the staff table, where there were three empty seats. Memories of Snape's meeting in the Forbidden Forest surfaced and he instinctively began writing to tell Hermione, but then the image of Snape writhing in pain with silent screams flashed and he knew he could never let the same happen to her. '_Just going to lie down for a bit, I'll see you later __for astronomy__,_' he jotted before promptly standing up and swiftly walking away.

'Bye,' Hermione replied, looking a bit concerned when he spared a glance. He gave her a parting wave and, once free of the hall, he changed to more of a jog, reaching Gryffindor tower and the portrait of the Fat Lady promptly.

'Good evening Mr Potter,' the animated portrait said with a gentle smile from her chubby face.

He returned the smile, pulling out the recorder from his pocket and, after pressing a couple of buttons, it repeated, 'Lion's Courage,' in Hermione's voice. With that, the portrait swung open to reveal the hole in the wall to the Gryffindor common room. He spared no time for it, heading straight up to his dorm and retrieving his invisibility cloak. Spending a moment for thoughts, he couldn't remember seeing any doors in the room where the giant cat was, though there had been something that looked wooden by its feet. Hedging his bets, he picked up his broom as well, hiding it in the cloak.

After leaving the common room, he stepped into an empty, open classroom and donned the cloak, keeping the broom hidden too. Unable to be seen, he dashed through the halls heading to that door.

It was ajar.

Listening by the door, he heard the gentle plucking of harp strings. Taking a peak, the instrument stood by the doorway without a musician yet still producing its soothing melody. Both heads of the giant creature were resting on its curled body, a slight purr escaping. Creeping closer, he found that it was more akin to a panther than a black cat, with its lengthy body and narrow frame.

Open behind it was a wooden trapdoor. To his relief, a rope ladder led down, though he couldn't see down to what. Unable to hold the broom, his wand and the ladder, he left his broom behind the trapdoor, where it was nearly obscured from sight.

After a few steps down, he slipped out his wand and pushed it outside the cloak, gently lighting the area in a glow. There was a squirming beneath him and he saw the agitated nest of Devil's Snare. The wand's light wasn't strong enough to repel it and tentacle-like roots searched upwards for him. Focusing on his wand, he made it shine brighter, pushing back the appendages. Slowly, he continued down, managing to keep the plant at bay.

A door on the other side of the room found his ear pressed against it. After hearing nothing, he carefully turned the handle, letting in light from the next room. Extinguishing his wand, he slipped through, closing the door behind him.

Hundreds of glistening keys wildly flew with delicate wings about the room. He eyed the room, spotting a few brooms, but he decided to test the next door before trying to find the key. Given that he thought someone had already gone through, that it opened wasn't much of a surprise.

The large chamber it led to was made entirely of a colossal chessboard apart from an area for captured pieces. He admired the marble and granite chess pieces which gleamed in the glow from the flaming torches. They were arranged in a checkmate position where half were on the board and half patiently stood at either end.

He hurried passed them, going through another door. The dank dungeon was permeated by a horrid stench, nearly causing him to throw up. Looking around, all he could see were the battered remains of animals littered about. Deciding not to dwell, he continued onwards through another door.

Circular with emerald flames along the walls, the room was bathed in an eerie glow. Behind him, the doorway sprang into amethyst flames and the other doorway was already engrossed with azure flames. Several differently shaped bottled sat on a potions bench in the centre of the room, along with an engraving.

'_Welcome to those ensnared between fires,  
Only one of seven will lead to your desires.  
Another will lead you back from where you came,  
While no others are as kind nor the same.  
A third will send you __in__to a __deep__ sleep,  
Drink the__ fourth __and__ your soul __will it __reap.  
A fifth and your mind will become rotten,  
A sixth and your memories forgotten.  
The seventh turns blood to acid __most __strong__,  
For a__ death __most painful and __exceedingly __long__._

Know this then that death is _surrounded,  
By those whose effects are not __its__ kindred.  
To go back one must start at the beginning,  
To start at the end one would be forgetting.  
A __damaged mind is followed by amnesia__,  
Either of which may be cured by a __fabled __tear.  
Death awaits if stuck between going back or ahead,  
Sleep awaits those who have gone too far instead.  
Torture sits between the sleepers til their mind dies,  
So beware the giant or you__r choice you will despise__._'

He pondered the riddle, but kept his mind open. If one of them looked like it had been the last moved, then he assumed that would have been the one the person used and he could check if it fitted with the riddle. Another thought was that his cloak may protect him if it's a magical fire.

Carefully, he inspected each bottle, from the tall, skinny one at one end to the dinky one in the middle to the final of the seven bottles with an odd handle. It was the fifth from the left that matched the giant description, being taller and thicker than the others. The crackling of flames provided some background noise, but a strange one accompanied it, like that of dripping water.

His ears led him to one in particular. Removing the stopper, he watched as droplets appeared in the neck before falling down to the mostly full container, slowly refilling it. Working backwards, the bottle agreed with the clues and so, after a deep breath, he downed the now full potion. Immediately, he felt chilled, but considering he was still awake and didn't feel like he was dying, he thought it was the right one.

Before continuing on though, he had a thought. Rechecking the clues, he identified the potion for going back to the dungeon-like room and also the sleeping potion and switched them.

After another calming breath, he stepped into the flames, relieved to find himself still chilled rather than alight. Upon the other side a thin corridor led to an archway and through it another room. From where he was, he could make out a hint of gold, but it was only when he neared the end that he realised it was the Mirror of Erised. Standing slightly to its side was Quirrel, though he was whispering to himself.

Harry kept his surprise silent, instead trying to get closer so he could listen in to what was being said. There was no sign of the Philosopher's Stone, only the mirror, in the domed chamber.

'Silence,' hissed another voice, slightly higher pitched than Quirrel's, yet it seemingly came from him despite his lips speaking something different at the same moment. Harry paused, hoping that whoever it was hadn't noticed him. 'We're not alone,' the voice stated.

'Wh-who is there master?' Quirrel asked, head swivelling around.

'They hide themselves, but not their breath nor feet,' the voice replied, nearly inaudibly.

Raising his wand, Quirrel said, 'I u-understand,' before exclaiming, 'Creare nebula!' Thick fog poured out his wand, spreading out upon the floor, creeping closer and closer to Harry until it spilled through him; soon there was a layer upon the entire floor. 'M-master, do y-you think h-he has fled?' Quirrel asked, ending the spell and causing the fog to cease to exist.

'Quiet, fool, and listen.'

Harry stepped back as lightly as he could, putting distance between him and Quirrel, who would snap his head in any direction he thought he heard a sound from. When Harry was back in front of the mirror, his eyes caught movement in it. Staring back at him was himself, grinning while tossing a blood-red orb with one hand. After a few seconds, it held it towards the glass, as though offering it.

Quirrel had been moving around, putting himself in front of the only entrance and exit, his hand nervously twitching, wand letting off a crackle every now and then.

Harry cautiously stretched out a hand, expecting to meet glass, but instead it was more like the surface of soup, deforming around his fingers. Smooth stone broke through against his skin and he grabbed it, pulling it out. As soon as he had, the reflection waved at him before fading into nothingness. He touched it again, finding the cool glass.

Meanwhile, Quirrel nervously said, 'Avada Kedavra.' The emerald bolt shot through the air, aimed at where the ripples in the glass had just been. Harry jumped back as it passed through him, the stone falling, while the curse struck the mirror, reflecting it back through Harry and towards Quirrel.

He stumbled sideways to avoid it. 'The stone!' the other voice shrieked after it struck the floor, rolling from under the cloak. Harry regained his composure, dropping to the floor to grab it.

'Accio Philosopher's Stone,' Quirrel roared, only to find it disappear after jumping towards him with the sound of flesh hitting rock sounding and the slight pull on his wand releasing.

'Get it!' the voice shrieked and Quirrel obeyed, striding towards the mirror and letting go of his wand. Flailing his arms, he caught the corner of the cloak and ripped it off. 'P-Potter?' Quirrel stuttered from the floor, the silver fabric tight in his grip.

'Harry Potter?' the voice asked, surprised. 'Kill him.'

His mind threatened to shut down, but Harry knew he had to act. A quick flick of the wrist sent the stone in a steep arc over the top of Quirrel while he went low, grabbing the dropped wand. Preparing to catch it, Quirrel released the cloak and turned, running.

Harry trained his wand on the crimson blur and, with a swish and a flick, raised it higher in the air, far out of Quirrel's reach. The other wand felt strange in his hand, but he ignored it in favour of retrieving the cloak. Before he could get to it though, Quirrel screamed, 'Release the stone!' as had risen, turning back to Harry and running at him.

Stuck focusing on keeping the stone from crashing down, Harry couldn't react quick enough to avoid the grasping hand on his own, but rather than removing the other wand by force, the contact sent Quirrel screaming with his hand blistering.

The stone steadied after the short drop; using the distraction, Harry tried to use the spell Quirrel had used to retrieve his cloak, but it hadn't worked and left him drained. Instead he ran over and picked his cloak back up, draping it over as best he could with just his half-clenched left hand and split concentration, the stone quivering as he did so.

'The boy! Get the boy!'

Quirrel hesitated momentarily before charging towards Harry again, this time enclosing his meek hands around Harry's half-visible neck and squeezing. The same sizzling repeated, Quirrel screaming in pain, while Harry felt his lungs unable to draw breath. Panicking, he dropped the wands, his hands trying to pry off the bubbling grip from his throat, but failing. Acting on instinct, he switched to trying to push Quirrel away, raising a leg and kicking off against his midriff. It managed to put a little distance between their bodies, but he was still being choked and now pulled down slightly. With his body screaming for air and brain refusing to work, his hands again tried to undo the clutch, all his intent on removing them.

A flash of turquoise light and the needed air flooded his lungs through his burning throat. Harry was barely aware of the shriek from Quirrel and a thump of flesh on stone, more focused on his own stinging and cramped muscles. Through bleary eyes, Harry watched the crimson pool forming beneath the now slumped body, before himself being overcome by exhaustion. The last his eyes saw was the shattered remains of the stone.

* * *

'Please Miss Granger, I appreciate your concern, but it will only take an hour at most to do the tests.'

'Fail me, I don't care, I'm not leaving him,' she hotly replied, glaring.

McGonagall sighed. 'Very well. I shall see if I can reschedule it for several days time,' she quietly said before exiting the infirmary. Pomfrey bustled passed her, stopping by the bed and replacing the cloth on Harry's forehead. She ran her wand along the length of his body, muttering incantations and getting different coloured glows as she did so. Hermione looked at her expectantly, but Pomfrey shook her head.

'It has only been a little under a day, I'm sure he'll be back up in no time,' Pomfrey whispered, smiling a reassuring smile at Hermione.

Left alone with him again, Hermione picked up his hand again, running her thumb around his palm. Slowly, the odd tear fell and was spread upon his palm. Her eyes remained glued to his eyelids, wishing for any kind of movement.

The others found her like that a little over an hour later. Neville took the seat on the other side of the bed, while Susan and Hannah sat either side of Hermione, trying to comfort her. Each melancholy, they spent a few hours in silence excluding when Pomfrey would stop by or quiet words of support were shared.

'It's dinnertime, dears,' Pomfrey said. Reluctantly, Neville, Susan and Hannah rose, but Hermione stayed seated. 'Please, Miss Granger, go eat something – you've already skipped breakfast and lunch.'

'I'm not hungry,' she mumbled.

The others looked torn, but Pomfrey hustled them out. 'I'll have something brought up for you,' Pomfrey conceded, slipping into her office. A tray of food appeared on Harry's bedside table and Pomfrey picked it up on returning, handing it to Hermione. Breaking contact with Harry, Hermione took it, only to have a couple of chips before resuming her previous position. 'Miss Granger, either eat the food or I'll admit you as a patient and force you to drink nutrient potions, which have a taste similar to dragon dung.'

Begrudgingly, Hermione returned to the food, having a bit more then stopping, at which point Pomfrey coughed loudly, pointing to the free bed next to Harry's, and the process repeated. Eventually, the plate had only crumbs left. After placing her cutlery down, Pomfrey tapped the tray with her wand and the plate disappeared only to be replaced by another with a small slice of chocolate cake.

'Yes, dessert too.'

By the time she had finished that as well, the others had come back, along with a small crowd who stood and stared at Harry. Hermione tried to ignore them, but they were always there in the corner of her eyes. Finally, she stood up, glaring at the gaggle and shouted, 'Would you stop staring! You didn't even know him, why are you here? Come to gawk at the Boy-Who-Lived because there's nothing better to do, is that it? Well?'

Most paled, some flushing pink with embarrassment. They hastily retreated, muttering goodbyes. Her anger subsiding, Hermione dropped down to her seat, sobbing. Susan tapped her and opened her arms. With that, Hermione practically fell over, crying onto Susan's shoulder while having her back rubbed.

Her muffled mumbling gradually became more coherent, until finally she picked herself off of Susan and asked the only question she cared about. 'He will wake up, won't he?'

Susan wasn't sure, but settled on saying, 'You know there's no way he'll miss the match against Ravenclaw, especially after all the work Wood put him through.'

They shared a weak smile. 'Like I'll let him on a broom after this,' Hermione quietly added.

A few more hours trickled by in relative silence. 'Curfew is coming up in ten minutes,' Pomfrey said, 'You should all go get a good nights rest.' Susan tried to pull Hermione up, but she wouldn't budge. When Hannah moved over to help, Pomfrey shook her head. After a final look over, they left. 'I'll set up a bed for you. Try to get some sleep tonight, Merlin knows how you've managed so far.'

Hermione's head bobbed slightly, but her eyes didn't leave Harry. Pomfrey dimmed the lights on the way back to her office and took her seat. After making sure the door was locked and the room silenced, she collapsed onto her desk, tears streaming down her cheek. Several minutes passed until she could collect herself. Taking a deep breath in, she removed the file on Harry, looking over the page she had started to list the results of some of the more intense scans she knew and had performed over the last day.

'Multiple broken bones... malnourishment... prolonged periods of starvation... numerous blood infections... numerous burns primarily to hands...' she muttered, going down the list. 'How did I miss this?' she barely whispered, 'What kind of a healer am I? He's so small and skinny; so reserved and obedient except,' she paused, not knowing how to easily describe the situation with Draco and the headmaster months ago. Shakily, she returned the file. Numbly, she looked through the one way glass into her infirmary at the patient and his vigil and quietly said, 'I can't even help him now. Could I live with myself if he doesn't wake?'

Hours ticked by while Pomfrey sipped on a pepper-up potion, her second of the day, keeping her up until she watched Hermione slump. She exited her office without making a sound.

After wordlessly casting a silencing charm around Hermione, Pomfrey said, 'Wingardium leviosa,' lifting Hermione into the air and moving her along slightly to the neighbouring bed. After placing her comfortably, Pomfrey retreated back to her office - saying, 'Goodnight,' as she did - and through into her private quarters, ensuring the appropriate alarms were set around Harry's bed.

* * *

Morning found Neville walking into the infirmary, taking up his seat opposite the groggy-looking Hermione. While he thought she looked terrible, he was pleased that she at least had seemingly had some sleep, as short as it may have been. He himself had trouble sleeping, having arrived with the first rays of the sunrise.

'Are you okay?' Hannah whispered, Susan walking over to take up her seat beside Hermione. 'You look a little peaky.'

Neville forced a smile, pausing before saying, 'D-don't like h-hospitals, that's all.' She smiled back before sitting on Hermione's other side.

Silence prevailed for a couple of hours. Pomfrey stepped out of her office, sighing at the depressing scene. She steeled herself, remaining stern as she strode over and said, 'It is breakfast time.'

Three stood and began shuffling away, though Neville stopped and looked back at Hermione. 'P-please come Hermione, he w-wouldn't want you to s-starve yourself.'

'Then he shouldn't go and get himself nearly killed,' she apathetically stated. Dejected, they left her.

Pomfrey proceeded to fetch and pour a few potions down Harry's throat. Afterwards, she disappeared to her office for a moment and, by the time she returned, a tray appeared on Harry's bedside table again. Hermione ate more readily this time, though left a bit more on her plate. Deciding not to push, Pomfrey left it at that, placing the tray back on the table where it then vanished.

'Miss Granger, I don't wish to intrude on the relationship between you and Mr Potter, but is there any parts of how he grew up that he wouldn't mind you telling me?'

Hermione thought over what she did know, the little that it was, remembering the context each was told. 'I-I think you know he was raised by muggles. They're his aunt, uncle and cousin and his cousin is treated better than him. There's more, but...'

Pomfrey picked up, saying, 'Don't worry, it's not important,' with the reassuring smile she had used abundantly the day before. After running through a handful of tests, she said, 'His magical reserves are full, so it should help the healing. The burns are nearly gone, but the damage to his windpipe still needs another day.'

'Should he be awake by now?'

'I still don't know what happened to him, but I would say give him another day or two before getting worried.'

Her head dropping slightly, Hermione asked, 'What if he doesn't wake up?'

It was the question Pomfrey had been dreading, but she wouldn't lie. 'If after two more days he hasn't, he will be transferred to St Mungo's, where specialists will check to make sure there isn't a physical reason for his condition and commit him to a ward for patients who are in a coma.'

There wasn't a response from Hermione; instead she went back watching Harry for any sign of movement. It wasn't long after when the rest came back, taking up their seats. Silence stayed in place for the hours until lunchtime. Hermione once again ate her meal at Pomfrey's insistence while the other three went to the hall.

Their return found the Gryffindor quidditch team in tow. At first Hermione was going to hound them, assuming they were only there to see if he would be ready for the match, but she stopped herself seeing their faces.

The twins pulled an extra three seats over, while Neville, Susan and Hannah quietly told Hermione they were going to the charms test and would be back in an hour. Katie and Alicia took the seats either side of Hermione, Angela adding a new seat beside Katie that was more in front of the bed. The twins took up where Neville was, Oliver completing the semi-circle.

Hermione wanted to ask why they were here, tell them they didn't need to be and thank them for being here anyway, all at once. The answer struck her though as she realised it was because they were his friends too. They may not have been as close as she was to him, but that didn't matter right now.

After another hour passed, in a silent change, the team was replaced and the extra chairs returned. They had been there for nearly half an hour when Susan excused herself, like they all had at times, heading into the toilets attached to the infirmary. After a few minutes, she returned, but Hermione was paying a bit more attention this time and noticed Susan's eyes were slightly puffy. Hermione wondered if that was the first time she had snuck off to cry. When Hannah did the same later on, Hermione concluded it wasn't.

Not long before dinner, Hermione looked up from Harry's bed and noticed that McGonagall was standing in the doorway to Pomfrey's office. Neville followed her gaze and said, 'Professor McGonagall s-stops by every few hours, b-but only talks to Madam Pomfrey.'

After McGonagall left, Pomfrey walked over and announced, 'Dinnertime. I'll get your food up in a moment Hermione.'

While the other three got up, Hermione quietly said, 'If Neville stays with me now, we can go down when Susan and Hannah finish.'

Neville smiled and sat back down. Pomfrey took a moment then answered, 'Very well.'

Quicker than normal, the two girls made their way down, ate and came back. Hermione and Neville left once they entered the infirmary. To Hermione, the walk to the hall had seemingly increased drastically in distance. Once they arrived, they took a seat in a bit of empty space where others had already finished, though most were still finishing their dinner. She hadn't really paid attention to who else was around, instead simply sitting and putting food on her plate.

So it was that she was startled when Ron loudly asked, from a few seats down, 'Hey, Hermione, you've spent the most time with Harry. He'll be ready to fly tomorrow, won't he?' She had already drawn her wand, thinking of which curse she had read about that would hurt him the most, when he suddenly squealed.

'Ronniekins,' Fred said,

'Needs to be quiet now,' George continued.

'Because otherwise.'

'Miss Johnson will be showing off.'

'Her infamous castration hex.'

While Ron looked terrified from only being able to sound like a pig, the threat didn't seem to land, so George added, 'She'll chop your balls off.' That definitely had the desired effect as he paled considerably.

'Thank you,' Hermione said, giving the pair of them a weak smile. 'Perhaps Miss Johnson wouldn't mind teaching me that hex?' The twins grinned back, though their eyes still lacked the typical glitter of mischief.

Fred began, 'We shall inquire,'

'On your behalf,' George finished.

The rest of the meal swiftly passed, except when Ron stood up and a few people half-heartedly laughed at his pink, spring-like tail. It was gone once he left the hall, Fred mentioning it was so those in the infirmary wouldn't have the unpleasant experience of his company at the moment.

Upon returning, they told Susan and Hannah of the events, each concurring with the wish to learn said hex; Neville apologised in advance for anything he, or Harry, may later say or do to result in them being at the other end of it. After that, the usual silence reigned, though Hermione noticed the odd few other visitors: McGonagall again; Flitwick; Sprout; Sinistra; Hooch; Hagrid (she wasn't sure how he missed him before); a dozen students from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw; even one Slytherin, though he was only there for a moment. None ventured closer than in-line with Pomfrey's office and Hermione wondered if that was because of her rant the previous day.

When curfew approached, Neville asked, 'W-will you be c-coming to the t-tower tonight?'

Hermione shook her head, replying, 'I'll sleep here again,' while patting the bed behind her. 'It's much comfier,' she added and they shared a smile. Pomfrey was along shortly after and Hermione was once again alone with Harry.

She took the time to remember all her favourite moments at Hogwarts, cherishing that they all coincided with her best friend. It seemed so long ago that she had boarded that scarlet train, heading off into the unknown with only herself; now she had friends whom she trusted so very much. One particular memory she enjoyed replaying and held a hand up to her cheek to push the tear away.

Her musings were cut short by the subtle sound of the infirmary door opening slightly. Looking up, she noticed a taller boy in Gryffindor robes with a prefect's badge standing inside slightly, though he moved over to a chair by the entrance. The gentle lighting made it hard to see, but she did know that Harry was the only patient here and deduced he would be here to see him. Cautiously, she raised her hand and waved to him and he returned it, though stayed where he was.

While not certain, she was pretty sure she knew who it was. Through the occasional look, she knew he was still there nearly an hour later, when her eyes had developed the habit of drooping and her brain the annoying tendency to momentarily dream. Deciding to give in, she pulled the curtains around her own bed, changing into a pair of Hogwarts-themed pyjamas that sat on the bedside table and snuggled under the plush duvet. Drifting off, she wondered if John had been there the previous night as well.

Pomfrey smiled from her office, going to bed herself. As night slipped onwards, John also left when the other seventh year prefect stopped by at around two in the morning. Sunshine soon streamed through and, seeing the curtains around Hermione's bed retreating, the prefect left, greeting Neville on her way back to bed.

Hermione though was already dressed and had taken a couple of steps forward to resume her seat when she looked at Harry, already tears welling up as she said, 'Morning Harry.'

* * *

Author notes

Well there we have it, the hardest chapter for me to write so far. The adventurous climax of the first year has arrived and gone in what I've written as a very split chapter. While I have replaced the original riddle with my own, it's only because I dislike directly copying and pasting work – not to mention a bit of poetry is good for the soul, even if it is about potions. After that, we have the slow couple of days with Hermione-centred interaction between the various circles Harry is involved in. I do have the solution for the riddle of course, feel free to post it if you want, and will be attaching it to the next chapter.

Unstorily, while this is technically being uploaded on Sunday for me, I think I can still count it as Saturday really. Why anyone would particularly care about me saying this, I'm not sure, but it does make it two updates on time in a row. Given I have half term this coming week, I may end up writing a bit more and producing an extra chapter for Saturday or I may not - more on this next time.

As a final request, if you are leaving a review, could you also leave your thoughts as to whether or not I should release the second year as a separate story or simply continue this one. I ask as I would like to take this up to seventh year (I promise no overuse of tents will occur), but would make the end result some monstrously large amount (over a hundred chapters / half a million words.) Separating it though seems pointless as it is the same story really. Anyway, opinions wanted please.

Until next time, make like a Philosopher's Stone and shatter!


	13. Truth

Disclaimer: As the chapter title "Truth" suggests, Harry reveals a lot of information in this chapter, some of which may be upsetting, disturbing, distressing etc. to some readers even though it is not graphic and mainly implicit. While it is important to Harry as a character, it is not essential and isn't too dissimilar from canon if you should wish to skip it. As such, please avoid Harry's large written monologue (which is easily identified as it spans several italicised paragraphs) if you think you may be affected.

* * *

Harry raised a hand, wiping the tear from Hermione's cheek. 'They're happy tears,' she barely whispered, meeting his gaze. She wasn't sure how long it was, but it felt at least an hour before she tore her eyes from his, to then look down at her fidgeting hands. As silly as she thought it was, his eyes reminded her of a beautiful spring meadow, so calming and gentle.

He tapped her hands, miming writing with a finger. Catching on, she picked up his scruffy jeans and removed the notepad and pen. Slowly, he wrote, '_I'm sorry. I made you worry, didn't I? Are you going to shout at me now?_'

She read it feeling guilty until she glanced up to see his grin. 'Prat,' she said, swatting him. 'Maybe later, when you tell me what you did. Right now I'm just happy you're awake.'

Eyebrows furrowed, he penned, '_How long was I out?_'

'Well, it's Saturday morning now, so two and a bit days.'

'And Miss Granger has barely left your side,' Pomfrey added, finishing the last few steps to Harry's bedside. Hermione blushed, but didn't disagree. 'Now you're finally awake Mr Potter, do you notice anything I missed? A pain or burn, for example.' He moved slightly under the covers, raising both legs and arms and wiggling a bit before shaking his head. 'Good. Now, a headache or blurry vision,' she handed him his glasses while saying that part, 'or trouble remembering or anything of that sort?' He shook his head again. 'Very well. I will be informing the headmaster you are awake after updating your file. Call me if you need me - before I go I'll be in my office and afterwards one of the professors can get me.'

Hermione replied, 'Yes miss,' while Harry wrote a quick thank-you note.

'You are most welcome Mr Potter,' she said, turning back to her office, a gentle smile gracing her lips.

There was a few minutes of silence until Hermione asked, 'What happened, Harry?'

He shifted in his bed, pulling a pillow sideways and propping it up so he was in a proper sitting position. Once done writing his summary, he handed the page over, daring not to look at her.

'You could've died,' she whispered, discarding the page in preference of grabbing Harry and hugging him tightly. 'You could've died,' she kept quietly repeating. He tried not to fight it, knowing he wasn't in a position to ask for anything. Gradually her grip loosened and she separated from him. A single word slipped out, 'Why?'

While he could pretend he didn't know which "why" she was after, he did know. '_I saw Snape meet with the man who gave Hagrid the egg. He knew about the stone and Fluffy - the giant cat. I was going to tell you, but he used Crucio on Snape and I didn't want that to happen to you. I thought it was probably him the other night, so I didn't want you to come with in case he was there. __There's no __way the teachers would've believed me if I told them, I didn't have __any __evidence._'

There were several replies he thought he'd get, but was surprised when she said, 'You're so selfish.' She paused, then continued, 'You think I want you to be hurt or you don't care what I want. You can't think the first, so it must be the other. You're selfish. I... No... All your friends care very much about you and we've all been upset and it's all your fault.' Her voice was unwavering and low throughout, though she punctuated the last three words with pokes to his chest.

She let him think in peace. It took him a while to reply, but he did. '_I'm sorry – not used to anyone caring about me._'

'We do,' she murmured, 'I do; Neville, Susan and Hannah do; the Quidditch team does; Gryffindor house does; even Professor McGonagall was here a lot and looking a little sad.'

A few more moments went passed before he wrote, '_I'm ready to tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, even your parents or McGonagall or the headmaster._' She was puzzled, but nodded when they looked at each other. '_I really hate the Dursleys. __Petunia __w__ould wake__ me up early to make breakfast, but I __was__ only allowed a little bit. After that, I __had__ to wash up the plates. Next I ha__d__ to hang up the washing or de-weed the gardens or wash the car, depending on the day. I __would be__ sent to my room then until lunch, when I cook__ed__ and clean__ed__ up. Sometimes I hoover__ed__ or scrub__bed__ the floors then, but normally I __was sent__ back to my room. The same happen__ed__ at dinner, but I always __got sent__ back to my room after that, because Vernon __was__ home. My room is a little one with a bed, a small desk and a basket for my clothes, but I keep some books under my bed. Dudley has a bigger one and he has a wardrobe, TV and loads of toys in his – I __had__ to tidy it sometimes, but Petunia watche__d__ to make sure I d__id__n't __steal__or play with __any of his stuff__. Dudley never ha__d__ to do any __chores though, just me__. __If Petunia __went__ to see her friends, she ma__de__ me go to the park until it __was__ time to cook dinner – Dudley normally __went__ to a friends house or him and his friends would chase me and hurt me, but it was only a little, so it was okay._

'_When we went to school, it was a little better. Dudley scared away anyone who came near me and he and his friends would hurt me __like at the park __when the teachers weren't around__. Otherwise, school was fun. I mean, I had to be careful I didn't do well, otherwise Vernon called me a cheater and wouldn't let me have dinner, because only good people are allowed food, but I would get to read and write and play a bit __at school__. I wasn't always sure what I did, but there were other times when I wasn't __being __good and didn't get any food. If I was really bad, he'd fix me, so I __would be__ good again, __though__ it did hurt. If I was only a little bad, he'd make me stay in __the__ cupboard under the stairs until I learnt my lesson, but I would miss dinner and g__e__t very hungry. __I wish they were like your parents, they were really nice and __they __didn't think I was bad, did they? Maybe it was because they didn't know I was a freak __-__ that's what __the Dursleys__ say I am __-__but I hope not._

'_W__hy don't __I __speak? __I told you already about Callum, but not everything. __He was really great. I met him when I was six and a half at the park. __When Dudley and his friends came, I was sad that Callum wouldn't be my friend anymore, but he didn't run away, even after Dudley started trying to hurt him. Callum was too fast and would keep out of his way, calling him things like "fatty" and "bully,"__- it was really funny seeing __Dudley__ get so angry. After that, Callum would play with me when I was at the park and if he saw Dudley hurting anyone, he'd go and stop him, even if he sometimes got hurt. __When__ Dudley told Vernon __about what Callum __said__ to him,__ that was when I was being __a little __bad, but I didn't mind, because Callum would always have snacks to share. One day, when I was nine, me and Callum were playing in the park. Dudley and his friends started trying __to catch us, but we were always faster and got to the main road. They wouldn't try to hurt us there, because of all the adults. __Dudley was really angry that day though and when a car was coming passed, he pushed Callum. __You know what happens next._

'_When I told the police officers what happened, they said they would check. I even talked to a nice police lady about what I did at the Dursleys __and they all treated me really __well__ after that. __When it was nearly night time though, they changed and told me I was wrong, that Dudley wasn't even there, but I knew he was. One of them said there wasn't any evidence and another kept telling me it was wrong to lie, even though I wasn't. I was starting to get scared, because one of them mentioned sending me away and I didn't want to go to jail. __T__he nice lady came back __soon__, only she wasn't nice anymore. __She kept telling me I shouldn't lie about my kind aunt and uncle, that I was treated like I should be. __When I talked to her, trying to tell her the truth again, she changed what I said, until I stopped talking. She kept asking me questions though, even when I didn't talk for ages, so I started writing with some crayons and paper she gave me earlier. It was a bit strange she asked me where I got them, but she took them away after I answered all her questions __anyway__._

'_No o__ther__police officer__ talked to me __after that__, but I knew I must have been really bad, because I got my arm __and leg __broken __when we were back and had to stay in the cupboard for three whole days, not even coming out to__ cook. __When I did come out, there was a strange man, but I can't remember what he look__ed__ like. __He did or said something and all of a sudden I was remembering everything I could about Callum, but it also felt like I was forgetting it, if that makes sense. __I really didn't want to forget him, because all my happy memories were with him, so I tried my best to keep remembering. It took a while, but it stopped and I was so tired I think I fell asleep afterwards. When I woke up, I was back in the cupboard. __I didn't see the strange man again, at least I don't think I did, but I was happy that I could remember Callum, even some things I didn't know I knew, like I could remember that I first saw him when I had turned six __and__ I was at the park, but Dudley wasn't there, so he was just swinging and I was playing on the slide._

'_I still really miss him, but I decided that as long as I remembered him, then he wasn't really gone, since he was still in my mind. I know it's silly, but to make sure I remembered him, I wrote his name on __both __my pens __and my pencil __too __and always used them when I could. Slowly, I stopped talking at all as every time I wrote, I would think about him, so I would always try to write. Now, I write, because it reminds me how great he was and reminds me to try and be as great. I'm not sure if I could talk even if I wanted to, but I don't want to._

'_Last bit, I know you didn't ask, but I want to tell you why I liked Susan so much at the start of the year. __When I first went to Diagon Alley, no one knew who I was. Hagrid took me to the bank and the goblins were very polite. When we came out, I bumped into Susan and her aunt, Amelia. Hagrid and Amelia started talking and Susan asked if I was starting this year. After I nodded, she got really excited, telling me about what her aunt told her about Hogwarts. Amelia noticed and suggested we went to Fortescue's. __I think it was only when Amelia asked what I wanted that Susan realised I didn't talk and that she didn't know my name. When I told her I was Harry Potter, she looked at my forehead __for a __split-__second __then said she __was __pleased to meet me, continuing like nothing changed. __After our ice-creams, she said she'd promise not to tell anyone about seeing me, even after I told her I didn't mind.__ Later on, after it was just me and Hagrid, we __were on our way out of__ Flourish and Blotts. That's when I found out I was a "celebrity" and got mobbed. I was so scared, surrounded by people I didn't know shouting my name, but Hagrid managed to keep them back and we got out. By the time I got to Hogwarts, loads of people had acted stupid or strange because I was __the "Boy-Who-Lived,"__ but Susan didn't._

'_I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I was really afraid you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore. I still am, but it would __make me even more __selfish __to __not tell you, wouldn't it? I hope you understand, but I understand if you don't want to be my friend. Please, just don't tell anyone, I don't want to be alone again._'

Harry couldn't look up while she read it. He was shaking with nerves as his imagination gnawed away, feeling horrible knowing that he had done something that his uncle would say was very bad and feeling more alone than ever despite having Hermione in arms' reach.

When she visibly drooped, lowering the page out of sight, he knew judgement time had arrived.

She mouthed, 'You're not a freak,' before repeating that as a whisper, then she fell forwards, holding Harry by his shoulders and practically pulling him so he was double over. 'You're not a freak,' she muttered again, but so close to his ear that it was like she was shouting it. 'My parents loved you and they want to meet you again and take you camping and stuff; I really like you and want to be your friend forever; your family treated you horribly and should be thrown in jail, not you; you're amazing and great, just as much as Callum.'

Her sobs began and all he could manage was to pat her back before changing to rubbing small circles upon it. As her words sunk in, tears ran down his cheek, his feelings of being alone no more. Her crying died down and his tears ceased with time until they were only clinging to each other.

Quietly, she said, 'I didn't have friends before Hogwarts. They didn't like reading at my old school, but I did. At first it was okay, because they would leave me alone, but after a couple of years, they started calling me names. One of the names was "freak," but my mum told me that it wasn't true, that I was different, but that being different didn't mean I was a freak. My mum and dad would always read and play with me, so I didn't mind not having friends. I was so scared when I came to Hogwarts, knowing they were so far away, but most people were nice, like Professor McGonagall and... you. Even with that silly Weasley and pompous Malfoy, it was worth coming here to... make my first friends.'

She wasn't sure when it happened, but she released Harry from her arms and was sitting up again, albeit nervous after spilling her heart out. When a piece of paper was placed on top of her hands, she almost jumped from fright. There was only a sentence there, but she read it slowly and three times before looking up. '_I really want to be your best friend forever too._'

Hermione didn't know she could squeal in joy. Harry, while still not completely comfortable with it, accepted her hug. It was a strange thought through his head that pointed out she was the only person who he could remember hugging him, excluding when Dudley would rugby tackle him, but he didn't think that classed as a hug even if it shared a lot of physical similarities.

'Hey you two,' Susan cheerily said. Hermione quickly pulled away from Harry, rosy cheeked.

'Sorry, we've been, er, talking a lot.'

Neville snorted, adding, 'For the l-last hour.' Hannah giggled, the three new arrivals standing beside his bed opposite Hermione.

Reddening further, Hermione responded, 'Well, there was a lot to talk about.' Saving her from further embarrassment, Harry started flipping through the loose pages, carefully hiding some before presenting the trio with his tale from the other night with additional notes on the Philosopher's Stone. Whilst they read, he found his wand on the table and cleared the remaining pages before reattaching them to his notepad. Hermione was trying her best to stifle the blushing by focusing on something away from everyone else, which he found quite amusing.

So it was that he wasn't paying anyone else much attention and completely missed Susan until it was too late. While her playful punches weren't at all sore, he discovered the same did not hold true for her slaps. 'Don't you ever do that again! How bloody stupid are you? A giant two-headed cat and you just prance in, hoping not to get eaten? Devil's Snare and you think it's a good idea to keep on going? Deadly potions! This is all after you think some crazy madman is inside there! What were you thinking?' Susan shouted. After getting nothing more than a terrified-out-of-your-mind open-mouthed stare, she, loudly asked, 'Well?'

Harry gulped and wrote the only thing he could think of under the intense glare. '_Sorry?_' Neville was ready to laugh, but a quick glance from Susan stopped that from happening. Hannah, at least, was more subtle in her appreciation of Harry's predicament and disguised her chuckle as a cough.

With the full force of her stare back on Harry, Susan sternly said, 'I'm waiting.'

While making a vow to never do anything that Susan thought was stupid again, he wrote, '_I thought I didn't want __an evil person to get the stone, that the teachers wouldn't believe me and that I didn't want any of my friends getting hurt. Hermione has already told me how selfish I was and I'm sorry for making all of you worry about me so much __and I'll try my best to be less stupider._'

Apparently ending on a joke wasn't quite what she was looking for, as he got a weak punch on his arm, but her scowl did melt into a smile. 'Fine, I forgive you this time.' Neville and Hannah quickly concurred and they somehow ended up in a five-way hug after Neville shifted around the bed to beside Hermione, giving them enough room to lean over and crowd around Harry.

It was a much more open hug, with it being arms weaved around each other linking shoulders, so Harry was content, up until Hannah lost her balance and brought them crashing down on top of him in laughter. When they extracted themselves, a peaceful rather than oppressive silence settled for the first time in days.

This period of thinking eventually gave rise to Harry writing, '_What does family mean to each of you?_' The question came up when he reflected on what Hermione had told him about his own hated remnants of family.

Hannah held it first and passed it on after she read it, but knew that she would go first and needed a moment to ponder. After all, it was an unusual question and she hadn't really had to think about it ever before. Her soft voice spoke, 'My family are people that I know will always care about me and be on my side. They'll always love me and help me. My mum always listens if I have a problem and my dad always gets me nice little things that I keep in a special drawer, even if I don't like them, because he bought them for me.'

Susan was glad she wasn't first; she really needed every second to make sure she said it right, since it was a little more complicated for her. 'I lost my parents when I was one, so my aunt raised me. She's a bit strict and a bit bossy, but she is always fair. When something's wrong, she tries her best to fix it. Her job keeps her busy, but there's always some time to sit with me and play Exploding Snap or have a talk or whatever I want. I guess I'm trying to say that family are people who aren't perfect, but try to be because they love you and you love them.'

Hermione felt a bit pressured when the gazes turned expectantly to herself. In truth, she still felt off from her swinging moods, even if the swings were justified. With a deep breath behind her, she began. 'Family are a collection of people whom you love, and in turn love you, unconditionally.' If the others hadn't been so personal, she would have left it there. 'Each of my parents knows a lot about my life and loves every part of it, that like reading books or that I dislike the colour pink. I'm never scared they might love me less if I tell them the truth, because I know that even if I think I did something bad, they know I feel bad for doing it or understand why I did it anyway.'

Neville had had a long time to think things over, mixed emotions arising as he thought of his family. 'I-I was raised by my gran. She's s-strict and old-fashioned, b-but she was v-very proud when I g-got into Hogwarts. Family a-are always loving, k-kind and supportive through good and b-bad times.'

There was a brief reprieve before Hannah asked, 'What about you, Harry?'

Twiddling his pen, Harry wasn't sure what to write only knowing he wouldn't be mentioning anything at all to do with the Dursleys. It was after a minute of deep thought that inspiration struck and he scribbled away on a page.

The note went passed Susan, Hannah and Neville before Hermione had it, the others giving away no clues in their reactions, before she read, '_Based on everything I have just heard, I have decided that my family is currently sitting around me. I have my big brother Neville, who taught us all to skip stones and me to swim; my big sister Susan, who taught me not to be stupid and make her angry; my little sister Hermione, who needs me to keep annoying boys away from her before she gets in trouble for hexing them; my twin sister Hannah, who is nearly as quiet as me except when helping others._'

Hermione looked up from the page to four beaming faces. She mock-pouted, saying, 'I can't be your little sister, Harry – I'm older than you!' Shortly thereafter she broke down to chuckles along with the others.

It was to this scene Pomfrey returned to after her visit to the headmaster. 'Good morning children; all's well I take it?'

There was a chorus of, 'Yes Madam Pomfrey,' before a burst of giggles.

'I'd like Mr Potter to stay around for a couple of hours to make sure nothing turns up and the headmaster wishes to see him this evening after dinner. In the meantime, it is breakfast time,' she paused for the groans, 'however I may be willing to call up food for all of you,' they innocently smiled at her, 'just this time.'

There was a chorus of, 'Thank you Madam Pomfrey!'

'You're most welcome children,' she said before turning to her office, file in hand. Soon plates popped up on the bedside tables and were handed out and hastily devoured before conversation began on the goings on over the passed few days. It continued on for a good portion of an hour, when Hermione excused herself to have a shower and put on fresh clothes. Neville offered to go with just in case she ran into anyone she'd rather not. Before she left though, she discretely told Harry that Pomfrey had wanted to ask some questions home life.

Susan and Hannah happily chatted away about their upcoming birthdays and summer plans they had solidly arranged between the two of them as well as ideas about whole group activities. Once their enthusiasm had settled somewhat, he asked them if they could give him a few minutes with Madame Pomfrey, which they readily agreed to.

'Yes, Mr Potter?' she asked, drawing the curtains closed behind her.

'_Hermione said you wanted to __know__ a__bout my __time with the Dursleys__?_'

It landed flat at first, but recognition sprung upon her face and she said, 'Oh yes, completely slipped my mind. A couple of oddities in some routine tests I think it was.' Quietly to herself, she added, 'Now, which tests were they?'

She accepted his note, hoping it would jog her memory. '_I would play in the park a lot and get hurt sometimes, is it maybe that?_'

Nothing quite clicked in her head, but she felt like a gear was turning. 'It may be,' she calmly said before reciting scanning spells that would show typical play-induced damage. 'Ah, this must be it,' she muttered, before going for a successive scan. 'Multiple bone-fractures and low calcium diet leading to slightly weakened bones. Nothing to worry about Mr Potter, a short course of potions and the damage will be reversed, though its already on the mend since coming here. It would be an idea to improve your diet once you return home though, otherwise we may end up with the same problem in another few years time.'

A few more flashes of her wand followed.

'It seems like you're a bit low on other vitamins and minerals too. I think I would like to put you on a complete course of nutrient potions. They don't taste the best, but will ensure there's no lasting damage from the past. In the future, more fruit and veg, understand?' He nodded. 'Well then, nothing else seems to be wrong, so once I have everything written down and your first batch down the hatch I'm inclined to release you.' She waited for him to reply, smiling at the thank-you note. 'A charmer, just like your father.'

She returned to her office and then disappeared out the doors, Harry guessed to inform the resident potion brewer of the required potions for his new regime and perhaps get the first doses. Susan and Hannah rejoined him as did Neville and Hermione soon after. They talked onwards from then for a couple of hours, at which point Pomfrey, laden with potions, stopped by his bed. The faces he pulled after downing each drink gave way to laughter, until Pomfrey pondered out loud if she should check to see if other children could use a more nutritious diet.

Once that was done, she declared him fit and arranged to see him every day before breakfast and dinner. Something was tickling at the back of Harry's mind though, so before leaving, he wrote, 'So _I'm completely healthy?No reason for me to not do magic or fly or go for a swim?_' and handed it to Pomfrey

In reply, she smiled and said, 'Yes Mr Potter, you may do anything you wish so long as it abides by Hogwarts rules.' After a moment, she added, 'Please try not to end up in my care again before the end of term.' All she got back was a grin.

* * *

'Ladies and gentleman; boys and girls; Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Slimy-'

A loud cough from McGonagall stopped Lee in his tracks.

'Slytherins,' he amended. 'Today we have the final Quidditch match of the season and the decider for the Quidditch Cup. Both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw stand undefeated; Gryffindor have the larger points difference from two short matches, though only by twenty points. If you asked the bookies a week ago, they would have told you it was anyone's game, but I've been informed that the Gryffindor team have decided to keep their infamous seeker on the team despite laying in the hospital wing for the last few days in a show of inspirational solidarity, even if Wood was forced to do so by the lovely girls and the twins.'

There was a spatter of applause from the crowd while Hooch dragged out the chest of quidditch balls. With everything in place, Lee continued on.

'First up we have the Gryffindor team: slave-driver, I mean, Captain Oliver Wood as Keeper; the delectable chasers Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet; the quite possibly insane beaters Fred Weasley and George Weasley; and lastly, we don't have the star snitch snatcher Harry Potter seeker extraodinare.' Before he went on to announce the Ravenclaw team, something in the distance caught his attention. Sparing a moment to view it with his omnocular, he loudly proclaimed, 'Bugger that, we do!'

* * *

Author notes

Hurrah, the climax of the first-year emotional adventure! It was draining to write both because I honestly have no idea how an eleven/twelve year old girl would react to that sorta stuff and because it's a really bloody depressing thing to have to write about that sorta stuff. Of course, I've actually written this a good few times, because I had trouble making it seem believable and hopefully my anguish/very mild OCD has been worth it.

Unstorily, the bulk of this chapter was rewritten in the last three and a half hours from midnight onwards with half an hour for a read over. While I don't intend to do this often, at least it was nice and peaceful at this time. As far as an extra update goes, I think it's unlikely unless the next bit of the story behaves and lets itself be easily written.

Thanks for all the comments regarding my parting question last chapter; I'm happy to see I wasn't missing some glaringly obvious reason to split the story by year. As such, I will keep it all here in one easy-to-handle bundle, though will probably have to up the rating eventually.

Riddle solution (left to right): Going back safely; painless death; going forward safely; sleeping drought; painful death; rotting of the mind; amnesia.

Until next time, snatching snitches could be a tongue twister if you keep saying it fast - I'm not too sure really.


	14. Resolving Differences

'Great to see you Potter,' Wood said, grinning.

'Should still be in the bed,' Hermione grumbled with Susan and Hannah nodding in agreement.

Fred and George stepped forwards, physically picking Harry up off the ground from his group with Fred saying, 'Well, if you don't want him...'

'We'll be happy to take him off your hands!' George finished.

A loud cough from behind brought them around. 'Are we quite done?' Hooch asked.

'Yes ma'am!' Wood answered, the team falling into line and Neville dragging the other three towards the stands. The build-up of cheering around the pitch grew further as the Ravenclaws began to file out in time with the announcements.

The last out was a small girl, a little bigger than Harry, and she stood opposite him. 'I look forward to an honourable match, but I do expect to achieve victory over you,' she coolly said. Based on the extensive background information from Wood, Harry knew she was Cho Chang, a second year who had natural talent rivalling his own as well as much more experience having been raised in a magical household and an active participant in the Ravenclaw teams' training the previous year. Their old seeker was replaced by her, after he had a remarkable school career, since he was offered a reserve position on a professional team and left school to take it up over the summer. He had been her mentor for her first year and apparently invited her along to some professional training sessions over the summer.

However, Harry wasn't quite sure what to make about all that, so he smiled at her indifferent expression and gave a shallow nod in recognition of what she said. This time he was only under the constraint that he had to catch the snitch before her and hopefully that wouldn't be required if they could get enough of a lead, something Wood was confident they could and, he thought in hindsight, was probably the main reason why he was going to let them play without a seeker.

Standing still despite the yearning to fly was annoying, but Harry listened to the recap of the rules without fidgeting. His heart began to beat furiously as he mounted his broom. Finally, it had begun.

Seconds passed and he already had a good lead on the others onto the pitch. Glancing back, Cho was ignoring him in favour of her own path for now. His arms were a little stiff and he felt a bit sluggish, but it was wearing off with each lap.

If he was honest, he wasn't too sure if he liked quidditch as a sport – after all, he thought, as a seeker, all he did was fly around for as long as it took while avoiding the occasional bludger. It would be incredibly boring if he didn't enjoy flying itself so much.

A glint behind the distant goalposts.

Diving, he topped out the broom in moments, sliding through the air. Already his target was on the move, gradually arcing to his right, but he knew it could change at any point so kept heading towards it rather than aiming to cut it off.

A blur appeared in his peripheral vision, he guessed it was Cho. While she had the slower broom, she was approaching from the right side of the pitch, allowing her to keep up. He wasn't entirely sure if the snitch had any kind of intelligence, but if often seemed like it did: when they were getting too close for its comfort, it sprang upwards and aiming between them.

Pulling up, Harry felt like he at least doubled his weight as he looped around. Cho had opted for a diagonal turn, putting her off to the side, but at the right level for the snitch. What Harry quickly realised was that they were in the main play area now, narrowly avoiding a bludger aimed at Katie who he had just passed.

The snitch continued onwards, darting around the rush of Ravenclaw chasers. Cho found herself losing ground on it, forced to evade the more active play, but Harry kept gaining. In what seemed like no time to her, she watched Harry glide passed her and skim a bludger, his clothes rippling from the close call.

Still forward the snitch went, nipping passed the Ravenclaw keeper and heading to the boundary. Harry knew it would soon have to change direction and, if he could get close enough, it would be easy to catch when it did. He slowed to pass passed the goals.

'Potter! Five sharp!'

Harry swerved and rolled to the left, the bludger glancing off his thigh mid-roll and pushing him down off course. He knew nothing was broken, but it hurt and gave the snitch too much time. Slowing further, he watched the snitch disappear against the backdrop of the stands.

'Potter! Condition?'

He held his right hand up displaying all fingers, their signal that he was capable to continue flying without a problem. Despite losing the snitch, he was glad to see Cho watching him rather than seeking.

Back onto his standard route around the pitch, Harry rubbed a bit of pain out of his leg while maintaining his watch. Listening in to the score, Lee announced another superb goal by the gorgeous Angelina Johnson, putting Gryffindor in the lead by seventy and a score of two-hundred and ten. Nothing happened for a while apart from Cho trying to pull Harry into a couple of false chases until she realised he wasn't going to fall for them.

'Gryffindor have nearly reached the magic lead with one-thirty over Ravenclaw. Twenty more sees them draw the match and win on points difference even if the young Chang gets the snitch or can she steal victory from the lions' mouth before then?'

Apparently, she could, Harry thought before pulling up slightly and leaning forwards. He knew she would be on his tail and this time she wouldn't get left behind because of running into other players.

'Spinnet for Gryffindor! They only need to get and keep one more goal on Ravenclaw to nearly guarantee victory!'

Harry levelled out, fully aware that Cho was sticking behind him to catch a wind break - Katie had later told him it was called "slipstreaming" - and it meant Cho was fully prepared to take advantage of any mistake he made.

The snitch seemingly decided it was time to start fleeing, snapping to the left and gradually diving. Minute adjustments set Harry back on course, his eyes focused.

'A one-two between Bell and Johnson puts Gryffindor up to six-twenty and a lead of one-fifty!'

Closer and closer he flew, while the snitch sped up, giving the tiniest of ground each second. Harry kept with every twitch, Cho having no opportunities to get passed.

Barely out of arms reach now, Harry knew the snitch was preparing to shift. With a second to go before he could grab it, it did just that, shooting to the side. He was too close to follow it smoothly, but he didn't lose ground. Cho managed a better line, putting her the same distance from it as him, both beside each other. Both reached out.

'Davies scores for Ravenclaw, bringing Gryffindors lead down to one-forty!'

They clutched, the snitch trapped. From his side, he heard Cho laughing, even if it was difficult at the high speed, but it became more prominent while they slowed. Harry suddenly became very aware that he held the snitch in his hand, while her own small hand was clasped around his, but she released it.

'Potter with the snitch! Gryffindor win, six-hundred and twenty to three-hundred and thirty! The youngest Gryffindor squad in decades reclaims the Quidditch Cup from Slytherin!'

Lee began to list various statistics afterwards, but Harry was stuck thinking, '_Three for three!_'

Before he was even back on the ground, Wood tackled him off his broom in a bone-crushing (or at least bruising) hug. Harry honestly didn't know if Wood would ever let go until Fred and George prised them apart.

Harry wasn't aware Cho was still there, but she moved in front of him and said, 'Thank you for such an exciting match. I look forward to our next time.' She finished with a slight bow and scampered off to join her team. Shortly thereafter, the three chasers crowded around him, giving him a kiss on the cheek,

'Thanks for saving us, would've lost if Chang got it first,' Katie said afterwards, thought it didn't help the sudden overwhelming blush Harry had.

'Us next!' George said, both leaning over and pursing their lips in a mock-kiss, but keeping their distance.

Any further congratulations was ruled out by the emerging masses of Gryffindor students, who promptly swept the team along to the common room, with Lee arranging for food to be delivered. It was a few hours later that Neville and Hermione finally found Harry and dragged him to the infirmary to get his bruised leg looked at.

* * *

'Good evening, Harry,' Dumbledore calmly said, though quickly added, 'Apologies, Mr Potter,' when Harry gave him a weak glare.

'_Good evening to you too,__ headmaster,_' Harry wrote, placing the note on the desk.

From his position, Dumbledore observed the mannerisms of the child before him. 'Are you feeling well? It has been a most, shall we say, busy week after all.'

Harry replied, '_I am, __sir,__ and it has __been a bit busy__._'

There was a moment after Dumbledore read the page before he asked, 'I am sure it is an event you wish to leave in the past, but you appreciate that it is of importance to me as headmaster?'

After a nod, Harry removed the pages on the night, patiently watching the phoenix while Dumbledore read and a bit longer after. 'That is Fawkes, my familiar for over fifty years. Beautiful, is he not?' Harry nodded. 'Has anyone yet told you that Quirinus has moved onto the next great adventure that is death?'

'_No, but I thought he did._'

'How do you feel about it? To kill someone at such a young age is a great shame and I am sure the guilt is overwhelming, but one must not get lost in it.'

Harry thought for a moment before writing, '_I think I'm okay. He was trying to kill me and I didn't mean to kill him, only stop him from killing me. My friends have already told me how stupid I was nearly getting myself killed, so I guess, even if it sounds horrible, rather him than me. Why was he trying to kill me anyway? I mean, it was only after __he__ kn__e__w who I was__, or would __he__have __tr__ied__even __if I was someone else?_'

The wait for Harry to finish was filled by Dumbledore thinking with fingers steeped and furrowed brow. Once finished reading, he calmly said, 'Based on what I have read tonight and pieced together before, I believe the second voice you heard was that of Voldemort who bonded with Quirinus in a parasitic relationship of sorts.' At Harry's confused look, he added, 'They shared a body, though Voldemort drained the life from him, hence the attack on the unicorn as they say its blood extends life though many believe it leads to a cursed life no better than death. While Voldemort's body may have been destroyed those years ago, it seems his soul itself has lived on.'

With a frown in place, Harry wrote, '_How did he do that?_'

'There are ways to cheat death, but all belong to the dark arts and are so evil and vile that one should never even think of them, much less learn of them unless they must do so in order to defeat them.'

'_The Philosopher's Stone?_'

There was a flash of emotion on the headmaster's face as he read it, but Harry couldn't place – he thought it may have been disgust. 'Nicolas and I are close friends, but we do disagree upon it. While he insists that it was not borne in dark magics, the thirst for immortality and the greed that comes with it most certainly are far from the light.'

Harry paused with an uncomfortable thought. Slowly, he noted, '_Will Mr and Mrs Flamel die without it?_'

'They have enough elixir to prolong their lives a further few years, but indeed their time will be at its end.'

Downcast, Harry added, '_I didn't mean to break it._' A further line ran through his head,_ 'It's my fault they're going to die._'

Dumbledore observed the trickling despair. 'Augusta, Mr Longbottom's grandmother, has agreed that you may visit upon his birthday which is the day before your own. I believe Miss Bones and Miss Abbott will be attending as well.' There was a slight pause before he added, 'Minerva has asked me to pass along a, shall we say, polite demand to train for the last week of the holidays from Mr Wood. Molly, who is the mother of Ronald, Fred, George and Percy attending here, has kindly offered to take you in for the time considering your lack of available wizarding facilities.'

It had an effect on Harry, bringing a weak smile along with a chuckle at the phrasing used to describe Wood's insistence. '_Thank you sir, I'll send Mrs Longbottom and Mrs Weasley an owl to accept and thank them in the morning. How will I get there_'

'It is not a problem, Harry,' Dumbledore subtly smiled at the repressed grimace before continuing, 'I will send a muggle letter to your Aunt so she is aware of the arrangements and I will meet you out the front of your home at nine o'clock sharp to get you to the Longbottom's or Weasley's. Molly has agreed to take you shopping for your second year supplies and bring you to the Hogwarts Express at the start of term as well, so ensure you have everything required packed and with you.'

There was something bothering Harry after a short break in writing and listening. Nervously, he wrote, '_How much trouble am I in, sir?_'

Once done with a quick chuckle, Dumbledore said, 'What makes you think you are in trouble, my boy?'

Harry cringed at the use of "my boy," but ignored it in favour of writing, '_I'm not sure which __ones__, but I must have broken some rules._'

There was a pregnant pause as Dumbledore leaned forwards, his spectacles tipping so his eyes snuck above. 'There are no rules barring students access to the area. While you were only found after curfew, you also had an exemption note and your story, along with the facts, suggest you were,' he waited a fraction of a second before saying, 'adventuring before curfew and it was your lack of consciousness which prevented your timely appearance. As far as Quirinus is concerned, you were not the aggressor and I can't fault you in self-defence, even if it was extreme. I would not be permitted to deduct points for casting as the protections were established in converted classrooms and the rules allow for unsupervised use of magic in disused classrooms for the purposes of practice.'

A silent minute went passed before Harry replied. '_You're treating me like Malfoy._'

'I beg your pardon?' Dumbledore said back.

'_I did something very stupid and dangerous and I'm not getting into trouble, just like you tried to do with Malfoy._'

Another momentary flash of emotion swept Dumbledore's face – Harry thought it looked like amusement. 'Harry, what would you do if you were in my place?'

Harry thought it a trick question, much like when Hermione asked him if he had finished his homework and she would either scold him for not doing it yet or get him to start reading a book if he had. However, he knew the answer to this wasn't "I think so, can you check I didn't mess it up?" He penned, '_Be fair._' It was short, to the point and unquestionable, he thought.

'So Harry, if I were to, say, hypothetically discover Hagrid had a pet dragon, I should "be fair" and report him to the aurors and have him arrested for breaking the law, most likely resulting in him being sent to prison?'

It took Harry a moment to recover from shock before he wrote, '_I think Hagrid wouldn't mean to __break the law, just care about making the dragon happy._' While waiting for a reply, he realised one way Dumbledore would have known.

'Still, should I report him to the aurors or not?' Dumbledore watched as Harry thought and then shook his head in frustration. 'Sometimes to be fair, we must treat each person differently. It is a difficult balance and one fraught with opponents who don't know what you do and so blindly oppose.'

The gentle silence stretched; slight crackling from Fawkes' flames a peaceful backdrop.

'I have given you much to think of and I apologise. Sometimes someone as old as myself forgets the youths of today haven't had to handle as much as I have. If you have no other questions for me, you may go.'

* * *

Harry sat alone in his bed that evening, the others still in the common room. The recorder was in his hand as he skipped around over the last few days after realising it had sat there for everything. He heard Dumbledore commenting on his collapsed body, Snape picking out the misplaced potion for getting back, Pomfrey's organised panic, Hermione's first bout of crying. That Pomfrey was understating Hermione's commitment to him occurred when he noticed Hermione was always involved with any conversation going on.

When it came to the argument with McGonagall about the test, Harry wasn't sure if he should laugh or give her a hug, which she always seemed to want. It made him feel like he hadn't felt before to know that she cared about him more than a test. He wondered if her parents made her feel the same way, because he knew how much they undeniably cared about her.

When it came to her shouting at a group of bystanders, that feeling returned. He liked knowing that Hermione was there to watch over him and look out for him.

When she asked "He will wake up, won't he?" his heart missed a beat. Despite telling him how much of an idiot he had been, it didn't really settle in until he heard the unmistakable pain in the question. Her cold defiance the following morning at breakfast twisted the knife.

When Hermione summarised the incident with Ron, Harry definitely did not want to make any of the three girls upset with him.

So it was that he struggled to sleep, thinking about how nice it was to know that he really did have friends who truly cared for him and what he could do to show them that he cared too.

* * *

Hermione found herself very much confused the following afternoon. Harry, after spending the morning supposedly revising for their rescheduled tests, had dropped an official looking and sounding letter on her table. 'What exactly is all this about?' she asked.

He grinned, writing, '_It is a contract stating that, if I do something stupid, I will repay you, Susan, Neville and Hannah with something we agree upon. I was thinking a chocolate frog or some other sweet, but it __doesn't have to be__._'

Smirking, she said, 'You couldn't possibly get enough frogs for that.' After he scowled, she added, 'It is a most ludicrous idea, but if you insist.' Absently pouting while she thought, Harry hoped she didn't ask for something embarrassing. 'Perfect! You can transfigure a wooden animal for me. That way I can have cute little collection and you get lots of extra practice.'

His head tilted slightly before nodding. Delicately, he appended the payment to the contract before jotting, '_Not __copies of Hogwarts: A History__?_' on a scrap bit of parchment, giving his own smirk as Hermione gave her own scowl.

'Is that contract in effect now?' she asked. When he nodded, she put on an innocent smile and said, 'Good, because that was an awfully stupid question you just asked and I think I want an otter as my first of many.'

* * *

In the common room, Neville looked up from his herbology book and the contract that was dropped on it. 'I-I think I would get sick of ch-chocolate frogs very quickly.'

Harry glared at Neville and then Hermione after she started giggling and said, 'Too right.'

'Hermione's idea is n-nice,' Neville said, 'I would go f-for plants though.'

Rather than add that though, Harry wrote, '_How about plant seeds? There's good muggle ones._' After Neville agreed, Harry amended the contract before adding, '_No petunias though,_' to his notebook. The joke was lost on Neville, but Hermione chuckled.

* * *

'Maybe a Bott's Bean, otherwise I doubt you could afford enough,' Susan said with a sly smile. Rather than maturely respond, Harry chose to stick his tongue out. 'Oh? How about a smoochy kiss then?' She, along with Neville, Hermione and Hannah, happily giggled as he blushed and shook his head. 'Fine. I'll settle for a chocolate frog card. Have to watch my weight after all.'

Harry nodded and updated the contract before turning to Hannah. She clasped her hands behind her back, twisting slightly. 'It's okay,' she timidly said, 'I don't need anything. Knowing you're sorry or not gonna do it again is enough for me.'

Susan groaned. 'Hannah! Of course he's going to do that, no need to waste a perfectly good bribe.'

Hannah's reply was so quiet that Susan had to ask her to repeat herself. 'I said "Harry already gave me back my best friend and I can't ask for anything from him."'

The boy in question looked away, slightly embarrassed and overly humbled. Susan's guilt took over and she dropped her head. 'Not that good of a friend...'

'Susan Amelia Bones,' Hannah scolded, 'I have forgiven you and that is that. If you keep being so silly, then I will have to get Harry to write up a contract for you. Understand?' After Susan quickly nodded, Hannah blushed at the laughter from the other three, slipping back into her shyness. 'S-sorry Susie.'

'S'okay,' Susan replied, smiling, 'I needed a bit of a kick, didn't I?'

Neville and Hermione said, 'Yes!' in unison with Harry nodding vigorously.

* * *

'Well, Mr Potter, are you ready?' McGonagall asked on Monday morning – the rest of the lower school had a week off exams to recover. With a nervous smile, he nodded and stepped towards her desk. 'Very well. For your practical exam, you shall be transfiguring this toad into a small goblet. The more intricate the artistic detailing, the higher your score; likewise, the greener or slimier it is, the lower your score.'

The toad attempted to hop out of the little box it was kept in, but couldn't make it to safety. Harry took a calming breath, remembering the three "S's" for animate to inanimate transfiguration: split; shape; set. Focused, he eyed the toad and tapped it on its head. He found the sight somewhat gruesome as it opened its mouth wide, elongating with its hind legs merging and feet widening where as his front legs shrunk into its body. Its colour drained, leaving a gold-looking goblet.

'Marvellous,' McGonagall said, 'Most ornate too. I especially like the lions,' she added, running a finger over the slightly protruding images. 'Sturdy too. Miss Granger will be disappointed to hear her score was beaten.' His grin amused her. 'Remember you still have the practical exam to go, so perhaps you should avoid gloating. At least for now.'

After a thank-you bow, Harry strode out the room beaming. There was a bit of a walk down the hall, but the charms classroom popped up soon enough. Hermione exited after a couple minutes of waiting.

'Good luck Harry, I'll see you at the rock,' she said as they passed. He spared a moment to wave as she disappeared around a corner before knocking on Flitwick's door.

'Come on in, Mr Potter,' said the professor in his squeaky voice. 'Ready for a challenge?' he asked when Harry was before his table. Tentatively, Harry nodded. 'Excellent! As you have no doubt heard, the others were making pineapple's dance. However, as I'm sure Minerva did, I've changed the practical slightly to make sure you had no unfair advantage.'

Flitwick hopped off his seat, scurrying to a corner of the classroom and beckoning Harry over.

'Here is my hurdles course,' he proudly said. Harry looked around the metre by half a metre oval track with sixteen hurdles evenly spaced and a miniature grandstand complete with quietly cheering crowd. In the centre of the one long side, a small orange sat behind the starting line. 'It's a timed circuit with each hurdle knocked over adding an extra second to your overall time. Miss Granger managed it in twenty-three seconds, putting her equivalent score just above the top Ravenclaw. When you're ready, Mr Potter.'

Harry held his wand a bit above the orange. With two swishes and a twirl, the orange sprang to life and started rolling. A flick propelled it up, momentum carrying it over the first hurdle. Flitwick squealed in delight watching the race with one eye on the muggle-looking scoreboard that showed the timer. By the time he was three-quarters of the way round, Harry felt the orange resisting the forced actions, tipping a hurdle. Added effort kept any others from being toppled, but at the cost of a bit of speed.

'Finished!' Flitwick announced to the otherwise empty room. 'Twenty-six seconds and three-hundred and ninety-two milliseconds with a single one second penalty. Not quite as fast as Miss Granger, but a strong time nonetheless.' Harry smiled meekly. 'Come now Mr Potter, I'm mighty impressed considering your hindrance. In all honesty, I wouldn't think you would have done half as well as you did today if asked at the start of the year.'

Repeating his earlier actions, Harry gave a polite bow before exiting the room, a little cheered up.

* * *

Author notes

The final quidditch match for a while and the final one-on-one with Dumbledore for a while too. Of course, Dumbles couldn't let Harry enjoy the conversation and had to leave him feeling much more confused than when he entered. Also, a wrap-up of the Susan and Hannah reconciliation that I wanted to put in earlier chapters, but it never quite slotted in well. Rather than leave it out, I thought it belonged in this light little bit. The first school year should be wrapped up in the next chapter and Harry's summer plans somewhat revealed too, so hopefully a bit more fun.

Unstorily, apologies for the delay. Let's pretend I typed up some random and unimportant excuse/conspiracy theory here. I'll try to get an extra chapter up to make up for it, but I can't make any promises. A reviewer also pointed out how not-so-humour-category the story has become, which is something I thought I corrected earlier. My original plan was to have a snarky Harry who would sarcastically reply in his head before writing something more appeasing, but the darker sort of humour didn't really fit with an eleven year old. I have gotten passed the main "dark" parts of the early story though, so it should lighten up somewhat.

Until next time, transfiguring trees makes comfortable and weather-resistant benches.


	15. Nearly Summer

Harry woke up a little earlier than he usually did on the last Tuesday in May. After fumbling with his glasses and stretching a bit, he pulled the curtains slightly apart, letting the early sunlight trickle in. Somewhat awake now, he got out of bed, careful not to wake the others as he pulled out some clothes and made his way to the bathroom.

Done with his morning routine, he snuck down to the silent common room.

'About time,' Hermione grumbled, stiffly getting out of the comfy armchair. 'Got everything?'

Harry nodded while trying his best to look apologetic, though it was hard when he still felt annoyed as he didn't think they would need as long as Hermione insisted to get everything done.

Together they made their way down to the foyer and out onto the grounds, creeping along to their rock. Behind it, they put out a blanket, Harry transfiguring it to solid yellow with 'Happy Birthday Susan!' printed across the one end in a bubbly black font. Harry then piled several pebbles together and went through them, changing each to a much larger, coloured ball with a small handle. Blades of grass were then turned to string and attached to the balls. Hermione had spent a few days prior going through library books and charmed each ball with the featherweight charm she found, causing them to float in the gentle wind.

Both happy with the preparation, they anchored the balls down with a few more stones, so they wouldn't be visible from the other side of the rock. That done, they took ten or so minutes to relax and recover from the draining magic.

A bit of life was around when they returned to the castle. They were amongst the first in the hall, though a good amount of OWL and NEWT students were up with books propped up behind their meals. Harry munched on his usual toast with jam, a few pieces of bacon, a fried egg and a goblet of pumpkin juice, though he had recently added two pieces of fruit to his diet. Hermione always had a little less and preferred fruit to egg or bacon - something her parents had encouraged her from an early age she had said.

By the time they were finished, the hall was much closer to being full, Neville having plopped beside Harry. It was Hermione's job to keep an eye on Hannah and Susan, which was luckily quite easy when Susan entered wearing what Hermione could only politely describe as unique with the bright pink witch's hat standing out against the sea of black.

'They're leaving,' Hermione said. Harry and Neville nodded back, mirroring her when she got up. Together they left, letting Hannah take Susan up towards the library while they headed back towards the ambush site.

Back behind the rock, Hedwig arrived on time holding the small basket.

'Thank you Hedwig,' Hermione muttered while Harry handed over a strip of bacon. Once everything was removed, Hermione aimed her wand at the little items and said, 'Finite,' causing them to swell in size until the half-dozen packages were back to their normal shape. 'I really need to ask John what spell he used – the normal shrinking charm isn't countered by a finite,' she said to herself.

Hermione took one of them, pulling two bags of confetti out and handed one to Neville after he arranged the presents into a neat pile.

From the other side of the rock, they heard, 'Have we really only got a few more weeks left?'

Shushing Neville and Harry rather redundantly, as they were already silent, Hermione opened her bag of confetti and aimed her wand at it. Neville copied her as Harry held the make-shift balloons' strings in one hand, using the other to brush off the extra stones.

'Surprise!' All but Susan and Harry shouted when the pair of Hufflepuffs walked into view, the confetti soaring into the air with an added, 'Wingardium leviosa!'

* * *

The morning of the second Thursday in June started like any other for Harry. After breakfast, he and his four best friends wandered around the school grounds, keeping close to the castle so they didn't miss the bell for first lesson.

During morning break, they repeated their routine, enjoying the rare warmth that summer and sunshine gave. They did this again after lunch and after their last lessons of the day. The only difference from normal that Harry noticed was how Hannah seemed more withdrawn than normal. By the time dinner had begun, she hadn't spoken in the last quarter of an hour.

The sun was dipping to a bit above the trees when they returned outside. A breeze chilled them slightly, but it was nothing compared to the near-blizzard conditions of a few months prior. Meanwhile, Hannah hadn't said a word throughout nor since dinner.

'_Are you okay?_' Harry wrote, passing his notebook to her.

Hannah put on a smile, quietly saying, 'I'm fine.' She didn't even convince herself.

Harry slipped forwards, passing a note to the other three before handing Hannah one saying, '_I promised Hagrid I would see him before school was over. Did you want to come with me?_'

'Sure,' she said, waving to others before about facing.

Hagrid's hat was about a third of the way around the castle from where they were, giving Harry ample time to write, '_What's wrong?_'

'It's not important,' she muttered, handing the notebook back. He persisted though and eventually she gave in. 'You all forgot about my birthday. I got a nice new pair of shoes and a tasty cupcake from my parents this lunchtime. Before then, I thought you guys were going to do the same as Susan's and get my parents to send it to you so I would get them all together at a surprise party. I was really looking forward to it, but it's not happening, is it?'

Harry had paled, though it wasn't too noticeable given the reducing light. Hastily, he plucked a dandelion from the ground and held his wand to it, the yellow petals merging and extending upwards into a tall cup-like shape, shifting to a light violet colour. After handing it over, he penned, '_Dunno what your favourite flower is; that's a tulip __though__. It's not much, but happy birthday._'

'Thank you,' she said, rolling the stem between her fingers. Absent-mindedly, she sniffed it and frowned, 'What does a real tulip smell like?'

He shrugged, noting, '_My aunt's ones don't really smell._' Watching her read it, he thought she looked sad. It wasn't obvious, as far as he knew, but it was how he looked on his birthdays at the Dursleys when he would get a chocolate bar after reminding his aunt. The hut was approaching, so he wrote, '_I'll stand behind in case Fang knocks you over._'

She finished reading as he knocked and said, 'Okay.'

'Coming,' Hagrid said in his booming voice; Fang barked fiercely, pawing at the door.

When it opened, Hannah fell back with Fang pouncing and everyone inside screaming, 'Surprise!' at the top of their lungs, Hagrid's being fairly deafening. Harry struggled to keep her up and they ended up fall backwards onto the floor, much to Susan, Hermione and Neville's delight.

Back on her feet and inside the hut, Hannah tried her best not to cry. There were banners proclaiming her birthday, a pile of gifts on the table, a large rock cake with twelve candles, streamers and her best friends. 'You didn't forget,' she whispered before a tear ran, dripping onto the faux-tulip clutched in her hands.

* * *

The end of the third week of June was upon them all as they trundled into the hall. As tradition dictated, the massive hourglasses that represented the house points had been covered for the last week, meaning no one but the headmaster knew for sure which house had won.

It didn't take long for the hall to fill, everyone buzzing with anticipation. The excitement extended to the heads of the house, though Snape gave no sign apart from the way he kept eyeing the other three. Even Dumbledore seemed eager to start, keeping his eyes on the doorway with an enigmatic smile.

Once everyone was seated, he slowly rose. He resisted chuckling when thinking about how the room always silenced when he stood up. Taking a deep breath in, he prepared for the speech.

'Autumn, Spring and Winter have flown by as they always do for one as old as I. As with every year, I have been subjected to more paperwork than I care for; sending more letters home to parents than I care for;' everyone noticed his subtle look at the Weasley twins, 'reviewing more detentions than I care for; most importantly, I have been subjected to another glorious year with the children I care for.

'I have every faith that our outgoing students will remember their time here with fondness and that our incoming students in September will anticipate their time here with the infectious excitement we all had before our first year. However, we must remember that our time is precious, not to be squandered, so do not forget to enjoy these years that prepare you all for your bright futures.

'Summer represents a time of rest from schooling: a chance to recover from hard work and ensure that the next year is even more productive. Second years will make the important decision of what electives to take for their OWLs and fifth years what subjects they will continue to NEWT level, neither should be taken lightly.

'As with every year, the race for the House Cup has been closer. Between first and second place is a mere sixty-eight points and between first and last only two-hundred and forty-five. So it is that the time for revealing this years winner is now.

'In last place, with a strong two-thousand, one-hundred and fifty-three, Hufflepuff!'

A polite round of applause went around, with the table in question keeping their chins up despite the disappointment, Sprout mirroring them at the staff table.

'In third place, with a solid two-thousand, two-hundred and fifty-eight, Ravenclaw!'

They looked downbeat and Harry couldn't blame them as he worked out that if Cho had beaten him to the snitch and won the match then Ravenclaw would have won the House Cup as well as the Quidditch Cup.

'In second place, with an impressive two-thousand thee-hundred and thirty, Slytherin! Which makes Gryffindor our winners with two-thousand three-hundred and ninety-eight!'

The cheering burst through the hall, most Gryffindors clambering onto their chairs and tables and whooping, basking in the moment. Slytherin skulked unnoticed on the far side of the hall, Snape scowling but respectfully clapping weakly. McGonagall stood tall and proud, firmly holding the cup.

'Now, if we all settle down,' Dumbledore calmly said, his voice magically carried around the hall. A few students blushed with embarrassment as they climbed down and retook their seats. 'To Gryffindor!' he proclaimed, holding his goblet high. As the students reciprocated, plates clattered into existence on the tables, laden with food and the goblets with pumpkin juice. 'Enjoy,' he finished, sitting back down.

* * *

The party in Gryffindor tower lasted until late into the night. Hermione retired at her usual time, but Harry and Neville stayed up, enjoying the smuggled food and drink along with various games, chants, music and dancing, though neither took to the floor preferring to admire the various attempts of the rhythmically talented and challenged.

Eventually Neville headed up as well, leaving Harry peacefully thinking about his summer plans. A few people would stop by every now and then, mainly from the quidditch team. After John sat for a couple of minutes, he left saying, 'Wish me luck.' Harry crossed his fingers for him, giving him a wave as he made his way to the other side of the room. He saw John again on his way up to bed, but John shook his head.

It took Harry a long time to fall asleep as he kept thinking of all the things he was going to miss about Hogwarts, though he couldn't help think it was more a case of who than what. One thing he was looking forward to over the summer was going through the book of photographs Hagrid had been assembling for him, though he would have to wait for Neville's party to get it. Until then, he didn't know how he would pass the time.

* * *

Their last meal of the school year was quiet at the Gryffindor table, most half-asleep and the rest rushing through a late breakfast so they had time to pack. Thanks to Hermione's insistence, Harry was in the former category, slowly munching. If he had the energy to, he would have probably been laughing at Ron's frantic pace as he didn't appear to even chew his food, stopping occasionally to unclog his throat with a gallon of juice.

Something was a bit off though. He looked around and thought it may have been that the seventh years, of all houses, were talking amongst each other, with Gryffindors talking to Hufflepuffs who talked to Ravenclaws who talked to Slytherins. As one-off as it was, he guessed it was due to them leaving the school for good and the house rivalries being unimportant for the rest of their lives.

However, Harry quickly forgot all about that when John walked into the hall. After a few steps, whispering began, growing in volume. Barely seconds passed before the first Slytherin seventh year shouted an insult at him. Others followed, spreading from Slytherin to Ravenclaw then to a few Hufflepuffs. What really hurt Harry was when a couple of Gryffindors joined in.

The staff table had stood up and bellowed their own outrage at the students, but it fell on deaf ears as the hatred continued, growing in number to the lower years and increasing in harshness.

Something inside Harry cracked when he heard, 'Freak!' Anger and hurt thundered against his defences, demanding he scream his disapproval of them all. He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as he tried to push it back.

'Freak!' he picked out again. It felt like he had run a mile when his eyes burst open, watching the hall fall into silence. They still opened their mouths, but no sound escaped and those closest to him stared at him, wide-eyed, with others slowly joining them.

Harry looked down at his hands, pinpricks of blood from where his nails had dug in and a weak crimson glow encircling him, ebbing and flowing with his breathing. It scared him as he knew that it was his magic pouring out, wanting to be released.

He jumped when Hermione gently put her hand on his arm, his magic instinctively pooling at the connection before spreading back out, slowly thinning into nothingness. When he looked back up, the sea of faces held fear and he couldn't take it.

Scrambling from his seat, he ran from the hall, taking the stairs two at a time without slowing until he was in front of the Fat Lady's portrait. Playing the recording of Hermione caused it to swing open and he jumped inside, getting upstairs to his trunk and pulling out his cloak.

Hidden from the world, he slunk through the school, glad that no one was using the obscure route he was. Making it to the foyer, he slipped around the emerging crowds, desperately ignoring their heated conversations. Once outside, he headed to their rock, carefully climbing up it so he sat on the still-cool stone, though the early sun gave it a bit of warmth.

He was confused. Their faces had matched those of the children Dudley had bullied and it hurt him to know he caused them, but he hadn't done anything. A thought occurred though: he had killed Quirrel. He was wondering if they knew but had doubted it until now. Only his friends and Dumbledore knew the truth, but a glimmer of the past reminded him what Dumbledore thought of hiding the truth.

Still, nothing he knew for sure, only thought he knew. Harry was familiar with that feeling, like when he thought he knew his parents were worthless drunks after being told that brutally and repeatedly for as long as he could remember, amongst many other truths the Dursleys had forced upon him.

That was why he was confused. He didn't know the truth and had no way of knowing it. More importantly, he knew he was afraid to find out.

'If he's not here then where else could he be?' Harry heard Susan ask.

Turning around, his friends were wandering over. Hermione answered with, 'Well, Hagrid's hut and there's an awful lot of rooms he could be hiding in.' She momentarily pouted, adding, 'It could be that he was where we checked, but we couldn't see him.'

Harry knew she was thinking out loud and what she hinted at. Despite his despair, he had to resist chuckling at her insight. A part of him wondered if she knew he was there and it was all a ploy to get him to "give himself up" in a way.

'How could we have missed him? I mean, you and Nev checked the tower, me and Han checked the library. It's not exactly easy to hide there, ya know?'

Hannah put her own thoughts out, saying, 'He must be scared.'

'Why'd y-you say that?' Neville asked.

Harry couldn't help but feel he was doing something stupid as he climbed down a bit to hear Hannah's soft voice better while the others took up positions sitting by the lake. 'Wouldn't you be if half the school stared at you like you just grew wings and farted on the headmaster's dinner?'

'Hannah!' Hermione scolded, but it was weak with the other two laughing at the image. After a "humph" and crossing her arms, she said, 'I still don't know what the big deal is. So he glowed.'

'It wasn't that,' Susan replied, rolling her eyes. 'He silenced the entire hall - even Dumbledore for Merlin's sake! After that, he still has enough left over to put on an aura and run off like he didn't do any tiring magic.'

The look of surprise on Hermione's face was accompanied by her saying, 'Over two-hundred silencing spells?'

Susan shrugged. 'It was probably more of a giant silencing spell. Accidental magic's usually stronger than normal, but that would be impressive even if he was a grown-up.'

'But... When we tested, he was really weak,' Hermione murmured.

Again Susan shrugged and asked, 'Well, how bright is your wordless lumos? I know his is nearly as bright as mine now and Aunty said wordless casting really weakens spells; that's why they only teach it in sixth year, so even the weaker wizards can at least cast.'

'He's really good at transfiguring,' Hannah added, idly looking at patches of dandelions. 'Especially when there isn't an incantation.'

Hermione had drifted out of the conversation, instead holding her wand and willing it to light. Even if she hadn't tried before, all the books she had found for Harry had been read by her beforehand to ensure she didn't have him read the same information twice. However, nothing really twigged and her wand-tip gave no sign of lighting.

'D-does it matter?' Neville asked. 'He's s-still Harry and he needs us now.'

Susan jumped up, brushing off bits of grass. 'Neville's right! Come on, let's go find him and tell him off for running off and hiding like that!'

Breaking her attempt, Hermione suggested, 'Why don't we split up? I'll stay here in case he comes.'

'Good idea,' Susan said. 'Hannah can check Hagrid's, I'll go check the library and Neville can check his dorm and common room again. If he doesn't turn up, well, we don't have much of a chance of finding him, but we'll have to try.'

'He'll be on the train if not,' Hermione added as they departed. After waiting for them to get far away enough, she circled back around the rock, obscuring herself from their view. 'I know you're there, Harry, you can come out now.'

Begrudgingly, he climbed down the rock, taking a seat next to Hermione before slowly removing the cloak.

'Thank Merlin it worked this time. I tried that same thing in the common room, your dorm and the library,' she muttered, twisting slightly to get a better look at him. 'So, I take it you listened in to our conversation?' He nodded. 'Feel better?' He nodded again. 'Good. Now, this time I want a cat.'

Suppressing the urge to glare, Harry took out his notebook and wrote, '_Wasn't stupid._'

She clipped his ear, saying, 'It was very stupid! You completely missed the look of horror on Snape's face and, for once in his life, Dumbledore looked completely confused.'

Harry gave a half-hearted smile, his mind still elsewhere. '_John?_' he scribbled.

Looking away, Hermione said, 'I think he left when the name-calling started. Probably ran to Hogsmeade and apparated away.' Copying a move she had seen before, she placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. 'It'll all be okay.'

He didn't respond, but hoped she was right.

* * *

Harry wasn't sure if it was an uncomfortable silence or one from having nothing more to talk about. The train had departed from the station moments prior, but no one had said a word yet. If he was honest, Harry didn't really mind as he was looking for any holes in his summer plan. He had the letter for the Dursleys already written and he just needed to wait to get to London to send Hedwig out with it.

In the meantime, a few attempts were made at conversation, but they died soon after. The lady with the snack cart stopped by in the early afternoon, but otherwise it was simply quiet and uneventful. Eventually, they started to drop off, startling awake after half an hour or so.

It was when only Harry and Hermione were awake that she leant over and whispered, 'Are you sure you're going to be okay back at the Dursleys?'

While he had preferred not telling her at school (due to the headmaster seemingly being aware of everything apart from a ghost-like form of Voldemort possessing their defence against the dark arts teacher) he had no reason not to now.

Thinking it the best way forward, he wrote, '_Wizard tents._'

Hermione, being the faux-Ravenclaw she was, throttled the answer. 'Susan mentioned those, didn't she? Can be magically expanded to have bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, but always with muggle-repelling warding as well as muggle notice-me-not charms so witches and wizards can go camping without giving up luxuries or risk the Statute of Secrecy being broken by using magic in a public area.'

Harry, noticing she was looking at him expectantly, nodded.

'Dumbledore said you had to stay because of wards on the house,' she said, pausing for a minute of thought before continuing, 'The wards probably stretch to the entire property and maybe a bit further, so you should, in theory, be fine camping in the garden. Magic keeps your relatives,' she bathed the last word in sarcasm, 'away. Since you can cook, food wouldn't be a problem. Erm, it would have, err, lavatory facilities, wouldn't it?' she delicately asked.

'_Not cheap ones and __I'm __not getting a cheap one,_' Harry jotted.

'Okay, so there would be no need for you to even go into the house and everyone's happy.'

Smirking, Harry nodded. '_If the wards are just for the house, __then __I__'ll__ camp in my room._'

She read it, a gentle smile beginning. 'I'm glad you're gonna be fine. I was starting to get worried.' Harry snorted and she barely resisted swatting him. 'Okay, I was already very worried.'

'_How about __I stop by when you get back from Spain?_' he wrote.

'Are you sure that's a good idea?' she asked, hastily adding, 'Not that I don't want you to come, but I don't want you to get in trouble with Dumbledore either.'

He shrugged and noted, '_I was allowed out during the day before. What can he do anyway?_'

'Well, as the headmaster, he could expel you, but that would be a bit extreme, especially if it was just the one time... Still, be careful – I don't want to be the one who has to explain to Susan you got killed crossing the road to come see me; I doubt I'd get away alive.'

If it weren't for the slight curves at the corner of her mouth, Harry would've thought she meant it. '_I'll look both ways, promise,_' he scrawled, chuckling.

'Road safety is no laughing matter, Mr Potter,' Hermione quietly stated in a tone that was identical to McGonagall's, albeit higher pitched.

In reply, Harry wrote, '_Yes ma'am!_' and saluted her when she looked up, breaking her down to giggles while he smirked.

The trip idly continued, little changing from before. Towards the end, Harry slipped out of the compartment to go to the bathroom. 'Potter,' a voice hissed, before it repeated, more calmly, 'Harry. Follow me.' Looking behind, Harry found Zabini who held his hands up showing no wand. 'No trick, I swear.'

Reluctantly, Harry nodded, though his own wand slipping into hand from his robe's pocket. They walked down a few doors before entering an empty room, Zabini patiently waiting while Harry double-checked there wasn't an ambush awaiting.

When Harry finally sat, Zabini started talking in something barely above a whisper. 'I know you told Snape not to worry, but I'm a Slytherin and I don't like unpaid debts. Malfoy has been pissed off the entire year by you, but now he's scared. He's nothing; his dad's another story. If Lucius Malfoy decides to make your life difficult, it will be, even with your fame. Watch your back and if you see him then treat him like the bloody King of England, all Slytherins like compliments. If I hear a plan, I'll let you know, but I won't risk myself for you. Understand all that?'

Wearily, Harry nodded, but when Zabini went to leave, he held up his hand. '_Do you share Malfoy's "views" on muggle-borns etc.?_' he wrote, handing the notebook over.

After quickly reading, Zabini took a deep breath and said, 'I'll be honest. Most of them I do, but not what he wants to do with the, err, non-purebloods. Myself, I'd let them be aurors and shop clerks and all those other unimportant, dead-end jobs so the rest of us can focus on the better stuff. My mother always taught me "live and let serve" and it makes sense. Anything else?'

Harry shook his head. Without looking back, Zabini skulked out the room, swiftly moving down the corridor. Slowly, Harry returned to his compartment, taking up his seat between Hermione and Neville. They were all still asleep.

However, it wasn't long when the door slammed open and the Weasley twins leapt in. Harry wasn't sure what had happened, but the sudden loud noise and much thinner than a moment ago Fred and George suggested some kind of pranking practice. The other occupants jumped out of sleep, completely startled.

'Sorry to burst in like this,' Fred said.

'I thought we were popping in?' George asked.

'Well, one or the other.'

'Either way.'

'We're here!'

'Unfortunately,' Susan grumbled, tightly gripping her wand. Hermione and Hannah followed her lead, while Neville was still quite spooked and seemingly happy not to be under attack. To avoid being potentially attacked, Harry looked solely at the twins, holding back any and all signs of the threatening laughter.

George scowled at Susan, though his good-natured face left it more a look of intense concentration. 'No need to be snide little Susie.'

'Unless you are Snape's secret apprentice that is.'

'But we digress.'

'Indeed we do.'

'A certain matter of a summer requests is why we are here.'

'Though Percy wanted to be here in our place.'

'We decided we'd rather be here.'

'Which is why we are here!'

Through their chirping the girls had grown more disgruntled. With the break in speech, Hermione interjected, 'Take Harry and go,' and the two others voiced agreement.

'It seems our pranking apprentice has lost his way with the ladies.'

'Such as shame as he certainly bagged the most beautiful girls of the firsties.' The girls in question and Harry blushed profusely at this flattering claim.

'Not including Malfoy of course.'

'But our Harry isn't into that sort, is he?'

'No, not at all.'

'But again we digress.'

'Indeed we do.'

'We have come to take down requests.'

'At our own mother's request.'

'So we request you share your requests.'

'If we may so request.'

Harry thought about requesting something for the forming headache, but knew better than to ask the twins for anything edible. '_I guess you could take my trunk. Can't use my broom __and stuff, so no point lugging it home._'

'Is that all you ask of us?'

'Not even a prank upon a Slytherin?'

'Or a secret Weasley-twin potion recipe?'

'Or a comb?'

The last had the others laughing while Harry glared around before shaking his head.

'Very well young one.'

'Take what you need from it and we shall take the rest.'

After he packed his wand, invisibility cloak (bundled amongst a few shirts) and a couple of books into a backpack as well as letting Hedwig out of her cage and adding it to the trunk, the twins shrunk it with a combined cry of, 'Reducio!' making it no bigger than a wad of paper. Half-bowing, in unison, the twins said, 'Cheerio,' before exiting the compartment.

'Was it really a good idea to leave your trunk in their hands?' Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged, writing, '_Only important thing is my broom and they wouldn't mess with it._'

'Just make sure you test it safely first before flying, okay?' she added.

He rolled his eyes nodding while Susan said, 'At least we're nearly there. Must be entering London,' and pointed out the window where the greenery gave way to towering concrete.

Deciding it a good time, Harry pulled out the letter simply addressed to "Dursleys" before attaching it to Hedwig. Opening the window gave Hedwig enough room to slip out, quickly spreading her wings and gaining a little height. As fast as she was, the train had a bit of an edge and she slowly fell further back.

No one questioned him, having informed them of his plan after his chat with Hermione. Not long after changing out of their robes, the magically enhanced brakes came on and the locomotive slowed to a standstill at platform 9¾ announcing the start of the summer holidays.

* * *

Busy chapter, with surprise birthday parties (Susan 26th May / Hannah 11th June if you don't want to check calendars), feasting and friendly warnings/advice. A little more about Harry's relative magic level too. Though I don't intend to make this a super-Harry fic, it does play into later plans that he has a large core which he can't efficiently use with wordless casting. That said, I do think it's reasonable as he's training his magic with a severe power handicap. John will most likely not make another appearance. While it is somewhat implied homosexuality, I didn't state as the important part is Harry's reaction to the bigotry and while homophobia isn't on quite an extreme level in the real Britain as it is at Hogwarts (at least now - not sure about '92 as I wasn't born yet), it is a school of children as well as a school of people from the somewhat outdated magical world.

Momentary rant, the point system. Given ~70 students per house and ~200 school days, the points totals I've used are very small compared to if I use the very low estimate of each student earning 1 point per day / 5 points per school week = 1 correctly answered question per week. However, 50 points penalties are apparently a huge deal in the books. Honestly, I could put the effort in to try and scale everything, but in the end the numbers are only useful for pointing out plot holes and I don't think people really care about them that much.

Unstorily, stuck with flu, sorry for delay. I probably won't manage an update tomorrow, but hopefully Thursday else Friday. Hoping to make the Saturday update on time, otherwise it should be on Sunday. As a passing thought, for people leaving a review, is there anything that actually adds to the story in author notes and, if so, what sort of stuff? I do enjoy rambling, but I honestly have no idea as I often skip them in the few stories that do.

Until next time, accidental magic produces unknown results, so don't play with matches.


	16. Camping

Harry was quite glad he didn't have to lug his trunk down to Diagon Alley from the station as it was a long enough walk without it. He hastily passed through the Leaky Cauldron, careful to avoid anyone looking too closely, not that there were many people there apart from a few eating a meal or having a drink. The alley itself was also quite empty with only a handful of lingering shoppers.

His first stop was the large marble building at the end. When he first saw it last year, he thought it was a museum - definitely not a bank. The goblin guards either side with their pikes and glistening armour barely acknowledged him, though Harry thought they may have smiled when he waved (he wasn't actually sure if goblins could smile either).

Most counters were empty and it was one of those he went for.

'How may Gringotts be of service?' the goblin cashier asked.

Quickly removing his notepad from his backpack, he wrote, '_I would like to get some money__._'

If he had to guess, the goblin was now scowling at him. 'Key?' Harry took it out of his pocket, handing it over. After a moment of inspecting, the goblin barked, 'Griphook, six-eight-seven!'

Harry thought the other goblin must have used magic to appear so quickly considering he hadn't seen Griphook around beforehand.

'Follow me,' Griphook stated, taking the key and walking off at a fast pace without looking back. Even though Harry was a little taller, he struggled to match the stride.

It was only when they got to the cart that Harry had a spare moment to jot, '_Are you the same Griphook that took my to my vault last year?_'

A rough croak sounded followed by, 'All goblins have unique names. Yes, that was me.'

Before Harry could write anything else, the cart lurched forwards and he nearly lost the notebook. The rapid ride was as exciting as it was the last time. It randomly banked sharply, throwing them in different directions and even launching through the air at one point. Harry felt his stomach get left beside, above, below, behind and before him many times until it abruptly stopped, nearly throwing him out.

'I hope that was as enjoyable as last time, Mr Potter,' Griphook said, hopping out onto the ledge. Harry could only grin while the vault was opened up and he took out as much as he could fit in his backpack, including getting rid of the old clothes.

Once back in the bank itself, Harry thanked Griphook – who Harry could've sworn was blushing, at least he thought that's what it was when his face turned a darker green – and exited back into the alley. His first stop was a shop called "Terrortours" where a kind young receptionist suggested a good shop for tents and also made him quite embarrassed by asking if he had an older brother who was as cute as him.

The shop recommended was "Gulliver's Outfitters" and stood between a café and a house. After deflecting questions about where his parents were, primarily by showing he had the money for it, he bought a spacious furnished tent for one person along with what he thought would be useful items. His favourite was a camp-fire lighter that worked even when wet, though he thought he'd get more use out of the specially enchanted hamper that cleaned clothes left in it.

Once he paid for it, he realised something he may have forgotten about. As small as the tent was when magically packed up, it still took up all the space in his backpack ignoring his other possessions and remaining gold. Another few galleons fixed that with a new rucksack that was enchanted to be much lighter and hold ten times what it looked like it could.

He bought some owl treats from Eeylops Owl Emporium and stopped by Flourish & Blotts for something interesting to read, though he left without anything when he wasn't sure if it would do any good reading about magic he couldn't try. Done with his shopping, he went back to the bank and converted most of his remaining wizarding currency to pounds. Unsure of exactly how much he would need, he erred on the side of caution and left with a thousand pounds.

Finally on his way home, he stopped by a fast food restaurant for dinner before getting a train and taxi to the Dursleys. Although still fairly light, it was getting close to nine and no one was waiting his return. Sneaking into the backyard, he checked no one was looking before getting his tent out and activating it like the shopkeeper had told him. It sprang out, sitting snugly beside the wooden shed.

Harry stepped inside through the regular looking flap and ended up in a cosy lounge. Taking off his shoes, he walked over and flopped into a comfy armchair. It only had room for two chairs and a couch around a coffee table, but it already was just as big as his old room. Later on, he investigated his kitchen. The stove itself looked remarkably muggle, but instead of dials or buttons it had labelled runes; it was similar for the sink. A decent collection of cutlery and equipment filled the cupboards and draws, but Harry thought they looked quite old fashioned, adding to a shopping list. Instead of a fridge or freezer, there was a pair of labelled cupboards that had runes to keep it cold and he could change how cold he wanted them. There was also one that had magically reduced humidity, but he wasn't sure why that was important.

His bedroom was probably smaller than his old one, except that it had a walk-in wardrobe that was nearly half as big as the room itself. It also had an on-suite bathroom with toilet, shower and sink. They too were all rune operated and he couldn't help but be curious if normal magical homes were this dependent on runes. If they were, he thought it would probably be a neat thing to know.

Lying in bed after an exhausting day, he tapped a rune beside his bed, the ambient light, which didn't seem to have a source, dimmed down into darkness. Falling asleep, Harry loved the thought that he didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast.

* * *

A few weeks later and Harry couldn't be happier with what he had christened "Potter's Portable Palace", now complete with an assembled flat-pack bookcase, small dining table and stackable chairs, muggle cooking and eating utensils, a decent supply of food and a beautiful snowy owl. He had thought the name a bit over-the-top, but "Harry's Hut" didn't fit as far as he was concerned.

Despite his luxurious lifestyle, compared to what he would have had with his relatives, Harry already found himself incredibly bored. While he enjoyed reading, he did have his limit and that was about three hours of solid reading. Hedwig found herself with one or two letters a week starting after a few days.

Hoping that the only reason he managed to write to Lupin before was due to being away from Hogwarts, he had sent another one. Harry still didn't know what disease Lupin had, but he guessed that his parents probably knew about it and didn't care, so he asked if they had asked Lupin to stay away or not. It seemed the right thing to say and ask as he did get a reply and it was much open than the last. Harry may not have known what was wrong with Lupin, but he did know that Lupin was very good friends with his parents. Harry's next letter was mainly a long list of questions he had: when did his parents meet; did James become a koala animagus; was Lily better at charms than Professor Flitwick; where did they grow up. There were many others, easily taking up pages.

Lupin's reply to his enthusiastic letter kept him busy for the day. If he was honest, it was more an essay than a letter, but Harry knew he had gone overboard with the amount of questions and Lupin was a good writer. There were short stories for most answers, though it was simply "no" for his question about his dad being a koala animagus.

Hermione had gotten his message before leaving and had asked her parents. They agreed that he could come over when ever he wanted over the holiday, as long as he had his guardian's permission and that at least one of them was there. He was disappointed that it would be a fortnight before he saw her, but that was certainly better than not seeing anyone until Neville's birthday.

Most of the others were to Neville, Susan and Hannah, who seemingly shared his problem of being extremely bored, though Susan and Hannah had plans to meet up at least once a week.

While he could spend the day outside to do something fun, Dudley and his gang seemed to still be up to their old tricks and would hang around the local park spooking younger kids. Harry purposefully avoided any and all contact with his relatives by only going out early in the morning or late in the evening. All he had to do was buy bits of food and it didn't take long to do.

Luckily, today was the day Hermione and her parents would be returning from Spain. The next morning he made an early escape.

It was surprising how little attention he seemed to gather in the muggle world after a year in the wizarding one. Even at Diagon Alley he had a stare or two, but mostly managed to avoid people's gaze by moving quickly and keeping his hair over his scar. A bit of thinking put the muggles indifference down to the small growth spurt he had been on, especially since he added all the extra fruit and veg to his diet.

The buses took a while, but he got there eventually. It was the same door, but seemed a little more intimidating after the months that had passed. A knock and all he had to do was wait.

'Hel- Harry!' Hermione cried, yanking the door back and gesturing wildly. He noticed her bronzed arms and relative lack of clothing compared to the all-encompassing Hogwarts clothing. She pulled him upstairs, her shorts showing off her equally tanned legs. 'Mum! Dad! Harry's here!'

Her parents were in the spare room, adding books to a bookcase acquired since his last visit. Based on what he saw, it was reserved for foreign languages, being laden with French, Spanish and Portuguese books.

'It's good to see you, Harry,' Cleo said, smiling, while she bent over to give him a kiss on both cheeks. She let out a light laugh standing back up at the pink tinges she left. 'A standard greeting for the Europeans, I assure you. There's no way Hermione would let me steal you that easily.'

Hermione glared at her mother, but kept her tongue stilled.

David shook Harry's hand, repeating the gesture of, 'It's good to see you,' before continuing with, 'You've practically doubled in height since we last saw you!'

A little unnerved by being the centre of attention, Harry slipped back to beside Hermione. Rather than aiding him, she said, 'Well, what do you expect now he's eating properly instead of just bacon and eggs. Honestly, the way he was, I wouldn't have been surprised to find he was related to Ron!'

Apparently her parents were well-clued on the who's-who of Hogwarts as both chuckled. Cleo moved first, asking, 'How have you been since the end of term?' It was an innocent question, but there was a subtle shift in how Cleo and David stood.

Harry got out his notebook and wrote, '_Bor__ed__. Lots of letters and reading,_' her parents holding it between them while Hermione watched him write.

Cleo smiled, but it wasn't the same as when he first arrived. 'Still, it looks like you've been shopping. I guess those old clothes wouldn't have fitted you anymore, would they?'

'_Never did really. Got some money from my vault and went to a shop in London. I think the girl there wanted to use me as a dress-up doll, because I tried on __lots __more clothes than I __bought__._'

'Oh?' David inquired, enjoying Hermione's tensing up, 'Could you tell us more about the girl you met?'

Harry was surprised by the request, but agreed, adding, '_Sarah's 16 and works there for the summer. She's going to sixth-form in September and is studying maths, physics, English and French. Her younger brother is my age and her younger sister is 14. She kept teasing me because I told her I was a big boy, but it wasn't mean, I guess it was like how she teases her little brother._'

'Did you like the holiday cards I sent?' Hermione blurted out after he stopped writing but before her parents finished reading. He looked back at her confused, so she added, 'We found the magical place in Spain like Diagon Alley, so every other day we went there and I sent off some cards on an owl. Didn't you get them?' Harry shook his head and she said, 'Huh.'

David sighed, saying, 'Well princess, you will just have to tell him about everything then. Before you do, may I ask Harry if he can stay for lunch and dinner? If not, I fear there won't be enough time.'

After Harry nodded and smiled, Hermione dragged him out of the room and started reciting, 'Well, first we went to Heathrow...'

* * *

If one wasn't the wiser, it would be easy to think Harry lived at the Granger's. Like with Easter, Cleo and David alternated days at their practice so that someone was always home to supervise the organised mayhem that went on.

The second day, as the first was a near to real-time account of the Spanish holiday, was spent with Hermione checking over his already completed summer assignments (she had done hers before bed each night) and suggesting areas he could improve. Taking pity, David had Harry help him move the summer garden furniture out of their shed after lunch while Hermione double-checked for spelling mistakes.

After that, it was different everyday. They would visit the park one day, play board games the next, he would try to teach her to draw on a few, she would try to teach him some French too (she knew a bit of Spanish and Portuguese, but was much better with French). Some days were spent reading, but he tried to avoid those ones having read enough for the rest of the summer as it was. Combined with the odd trip to the movies – Harry insisted on paying for himself this time – and various museums and historical sites and July passed before he knew it.

Harry did know when it was the 30th though. While he had asked Hermione if she could accompany him, after checking it was okay with Neville, he was still by himself waiting for both her and Dumbledore. He didn't blame Hermione for being a little late as she would have gotten up early.

When a car did pull up in front of him, he grinned. The front door, on the passenger side, opened and Hermione slowly got out, making sure her sparkling sapphire dress didn't catch. She timidly approached before looking down shyly.

'Daddy's just here until Dumbledore gets us,' she said.

Getting his notebook out, he wrote, '_That's a very nice dress._'

She blushed, replying, 'You scrub up nicely too.'

Before he could continue, Dumbledore arrived. There was something about the look Dumbledore was giving him that made him feel like he had done wrong. Of course, he had somewhat ignored warnings Dumbledore had given him, but it was the silent judgement that got to him.

Dumbledore led them down the road from where he had come in silence. It was quite a surprise to end up knocking on the door of Mrs Figgs, an elderly woman who enjoyed the company of a platoon of cats, where he had spent some nights when the Dursleys wanted to go out without him. Even if she was a little, well, strange, Harry enjoyed his time there because she would let him have proper food and even cake the one time too. It didn't hurt that she was nice and never hurt him. He, of course, never let on that he liked going there, otherwise the Dursleys may have put an end to it.

'Hello again, Arabella,' Dumbledore said, giving her a smile.

She stepped back, beckoning them in. 'Come in, quickly now. Your friend too.'

While walking to the lounge, Dumbledore explained, 'Arabella is a squib. She has been here to keep an eye on you, Harry, at my request since you were placed here. At the moment, we are borrowing her fireplace to floo to Mr Longbottom's house.' Now in front of the fireplace, he picked up a small pot filled with emerald powder. Pinching a bit and throwing it in turned the flames a similarly green colour. 'Longbottom Manor!' he announced, stepping into the flames.

Harry nearly fell over at the stupidity.

'_Ladies first,_' he jotted for Hermione. Slightly pink, she stepped into the fire after stating her destination.

'_Help?_' he wrote, handing it to Mrs Figgs.

'Oh, of course,' she said as he added some powder. 'Longbottom Manor!'

She returned the notebook then Harry stepped through, though wished he hadn't. Unlike the goblin carts, the experience was more disorientating than exhilarating, despite the similarly random and impulsive course he took as he flew passed grates.

Eventually it gave way to a room and he found himself stumbling out of it, landing awkwardly on his hip. Groaning in pain, he struggled to his feet and rubbed his side.

'W-welcome Harry, very elegant,' Neville managed after a snort of laughter. For his part, Harry scowled back, but it was hard to keep up with Hannah and Susan openly laughing at him. The girls had dresses on, bright gold for Hannah and midnight blue for Susan, while Neville had robes of perfect black with a copper trim. Harry felt out of place in his trouser-blazer combo, cursing his stupidity at being formally dressed for a muggle. He supposed the bright side was that, if he were wearing robes, his less than graceful entrance would have included some flashing of what was beneath the robes. Hermione also shared their amusement, but was dignified in her chuckling.

From his pocket, Harry pulled out a pre-written birthday message and a posh-looking envelope containing several packs of seeds. It gave him a strange thought that most magical people had an obsession that made any gift in that area appreciated: Hermione with books; Neville with plants; Hagrid with dangerous animals; Ron with quidditch; Malfoy with hair-care products; Snape with potions ingredients. He could go on, but it seemed he was the last guest and so was led out of the entrance hall, with the headmaster saying his good-byes, and into a dining room of sorts.

Neville had told him a lot about what was going to happen. As tradition dictated, the morning was filled with close friends and family for breakfast, followed by the opening of presents and exchanges of gratitudes and other conversation. Lunch would signal the start of formality and would include important business related peoples and people who were just friends or good acquaintances. This would lead to several hours of polite discussions about everything that had happened since everyone had last talked to every other person. After that, dinner and a ball, at which point it was opened up to virtually everyone who knew the birthday person or their family and weren't on bad terms.

Luckily, as Neville wasn't of age yet, it would be scaled down a lot. It would just be them, along with his grandmother, for the morning. Hannah's parents and Susan's aunt would join them in the afternoon and a few other children from Hogwarts and their families would join for the ball.

Harry enjoyed catching up with his other friends in person during a delicious breakfast. Neville gave them a tour of his greenhouses after, showing off the fruits of his labour and managing to completely miss the other three leaving him and Hannah to herbology discussions.

Susan dragged them over to a small pond with aquatic plants and took a seat on a well-placed bench. Hermione took the time to see how much homework Susan had done and then proceeded to scold her when she revealed she had done none of it ('Me and Hannah were going to do it on the weekend, honest!') while Harry opted to do a little sketching.

Eventually Neville got them and brought them inside for lunch where everyone else was waiting. Based on how Susan reacted to her aunt Amelia's look, Harry thought it must equate to "What have you been off doing?" It quickly ended when Neville timidly stood and thanked everyone for coming and starting the fantastic feast.

Meeting Hannah's parents, Helen and Nigel, was enlightening as far as Harry was concerned. She felt very differently, especially when they told him she had had a Harry Potter poster on her wall until she got back for summer. However, he didn't think she would ever forgive them when they let slip she had sent him a letter asking him to marry her when she was seven. Regardless, Harry saw where she got her timid but good-natured personality as he thoroughly enjoyed the stories.

Amelia was much colder, but seemed to warm up by the end. Her first question, much to Harry's confusion, was, 'What does Susan mean to you?' Telling her that Susan was like the big sister he always wanted seemed a good answer, since Amelia went on to tell him a bit about her job as head of the DMLE, which was like the muggle police, and a few embarrassing stories about Susan ('Aunty! How could you tell him I named my teddy after him?')

When it seemed like he and Hermione were getting off unscathed, Hermione told Amelia about their stupidity contract, which led to some teasing and a retaliatory story of Harry's own. This led to the adult's amusement as Harry and Hermione revealed every story they knew that mortified the other ('_Hermione fell asleep reading _Hogwarts: A History_in the common room __five times her first month!_' 'Harry nearly burnt his bed down when he used his wand instead of a quill to write!' '_Madam Pince threatened to ban her from the library after she tried to sneak into the restricted section!_' 'Harry didn't know his left from his right until I taught him!')

As great as things were going, it was soured for Harry by Neville's grandmother when she started telling stories. He wasn't sure why everyone else laughed when she said they thought Neville was a squib his great-uncle Algie dropped him out a second story window and he bounced, nor what was so hilarious about being unable to cast a lumos until she threatened to take away his night-lamp before he left for Hogwarts. All in all, he thought she was being quite cruel, but Neville was the only other person who seemed to share his opinion.

When dinner popped up, Harry was getting tired. The good food gave him a second-wind though and he was fine when the other guests started to arrive. Most of the Gryffindor first year and a couple of other Hufflepuffs arrived. Padma, Parvati Patil's twin sister, also came along with Su Li from Ravenclaw. Quite a surprise for Harry was the arrival of Daphne Greengrass and her younger sister Astoria. When asked about her, Neville muttered something about doing his duty to help those tempted by evil. Harry wasn't sure, but suspected Augusta was involved.

Things became tricky from then onwards for Harry. When the music started, he became very aware that he didn't know how to dance and doubted he could. Upon trying to sneak out, Lavender Brown, of the now infamous Lav and Pav gossip and style gurus, accosted him and dragged him onto the dance floor, insisting she had the first dance.

If he attended any future gatherings where embarrassing stories were to be told, Harry was confident his attempts at dancing would be included. The problem for him wasn't so much being uncomfortably close to Lavender, though that didn't help, but that he had no idea where to put his feet. It didn't help that she had announced her intention to dance at the top of her voice, effectively making them the centre of attention.

Quite possibly the only person not laughing when she gave up trying to coax some kind of rhythm out of him was little Astoria who asked if she could have the next dance. Harry thought it was the same insanity that drove shy little Hannah to ask him to marry her before they had even met. That didn't mean she didn't look heartbroken when he wrote, '_It's better for your feet if we didn't dance._' Honestly, he felt like he had kicked a puppy when the first tear appeared, so he regretfully gave in. Somehow she avoided flattened toes, but it still looked less elegant than a bull in a china shop.

No one asked him for a dance after that and he couldn't blame them. Perhaps the only thing stopping him from slinking off was the slightly better efforts of some of the other boys (somehow all the girls looked like they had been born dancing – he put it down to secret girls-only classes at Hogwarts) which had relieved some of the humiliation he felt.

When it was finally time to go, there was a few minutes of mingling to exchange good-byes. When Harry did so with the Greengrass family, Matt, Daphne's father, said, 'A pleasure to meet you, Mr Potter – I look forward to arranging a marriage contract between you and our little Astoria.'

Harry froze mid-handshake and only realised it was a joke when Daphne scowled, saying, 'Father! As if he doesn't hate Slytherins enough as is without your teasing!'

When Harry gained enough of his wits, he replied with, '_Not Slytherins, just idiots like Malfoy._'

Her look at him was off-putting, but didn't linger as her father bustled the family along to the next set of guests, Seamus Finnigan and his family taking their place. The end did finally arrive and it was just Harry and Hermione with Dumbledore.

Like before, it was a silent affair after getting to Mrs Figg's house and walking down the street. Hermione's dad was waiting and Dumbledore greeted him, wishing them a good trip before the Grangers departed for home.

Based on the twilight, Harry thought it a little after nine. Dumbledore seemed pensieve before turning to Harry with a look of disappointment. They stood in silence, Harry realising that Dumbledore expected him to confess his wrongdoings. The weight of the twinkling blue eyes was intense, but Harry held on. He knew Dumbledore wanted him to admit to going to the Grangers so he could forbid him from doing so, but Harry wouldn't give in. If it wasn't that, then he'd be surprised as Hedwig hadn't let him know Dumbledore was intercepting his letters to Lupin.

'Goodnight, Mr Potter,' Dumbledore eventually said, raising his gaze to the front door of the Dursleys. Harry dipped his head in a reciprocal gesture, turning to take the path to the back garden. He was confident Dumbledore was still eyeing him, but, for once, Harry felt safe going home.

* * *

Author Notes

A slow chapter for a slow summer. Potter's Portable Palace, or 3P for short, is set up as a pre-teen bachelor pad and promises to be around for a while. Marriage contracts (most probably) won't play a part at any point nor peculiar customs that mean if you do X then you're married, but never say never and all is fair in pranks and war. A formal day of celebrations seems the sort of tradition I would expect of wizards and thought it a nice thing to include to bring together some people. I've also gone for a more abstract than intimate way of description, primarily so I don't extend a birthday to three chapters. I'm hoping it's a mutual agreement, but I doubt I could have written several hours of conversation, so it's really the best option for everyone.

Unstorily, I didn't manage to squeeze an extra chapter. It's at times like this that I'm confident writing shares properties with non-Newtonian fluids in that the more they're forced, the harder they get. Perhaps switching to a once-weekly schedule with occasional extra chapter would be a better idea for my conscience. At the moment, I'm trying to split my free time equally between reading and writing, but the next chapter is always too good to wait and feeds my guilt of a lack of typing.

Until next time, rogue house-elves are bad for your health.


	17. A Long Day

Harry woke up on Friday the 31st of July with an odd weight on his chest. Stirring from sleep, he wasn't all there and struggled to make sense of it. Hedwig was the only possibility he could think of. His eyes still closed, he groped at the bedside table for his glasses, carefully putting them on.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

Quickly, he fell out of the bed in fright with a small, greyed creature floundering backwards. The large ears drooped, reaching its chin, while its eyes were opened wide, engulfing most of its face. Spindly arms swung to keep it from falling back.

In a high pitched squawk, it exclaimed, 'Dobby is sorry Mr Harry Potter sir. Dobby did not mean to frighten the great Mr Harry Potter sir!'

Harry calmed slightly, still peddling back towards the wall without taking his eyes off Dobby. There were purple marks on the ill skin with several lengths of what looked like scabs.

'Great Mr Harry Potter sir does not be afraid of Dobby. Dobby has come to warn Mr Harry Potter sir. Hogwarts is not safe, Mr Harry Potter sir, you must not go! Does Mr Harry Potter sir understand?'

Unsure, Harry nodded, edging towards the door.

After squeaking, Dobby asked, 'So Mr Harry Potter sir won't going to Hogwarts?' When Harry didn't respond, Dobby fearfully asked, 'Is Mr Harry Potter sir going to Hogwarts?' Harry's weak nod elicited a twisted scream, but Dobby seemed to focus on something in the distance before saying, 'Dobby must going now,' and disappeared with a light "pop" sound.

Gently, Harry's heartbeat settled, though his mind was still reeling. His weakening legs eventually brought him to his senses and he took a few steps before collapsing on his bed. Absently looking out the window, he guessed it not long after seven. Subdued, he slunk into the bathroom, having a shower and getting dressed.

In the kitchen, he put two slices of bread into the peculiar horizontal toaster. A small Teflon pan sat on the hob, being heated by a small blue flame while he melted a bit of butter before adding an egg. The toast was ready half-way through and he buttered both slices, placing the first egg on a slice and frying another egg afterwards. He had ate the first awaiting the second, moving on to that one afterwards.

Raiding the fridge, he washed a bag of grapes along with a couple of apples. Tucking into those with a glass of milk, his thoughts were still on Dobby. He had no idea what it was or what it could do, apart from appear at will in his bedroom, and was scared. Being told not to be afraid wasn't very comforting nor convincing for him, but the lack of any aggression was.

Hedwig tapped the peculiar plastic-looking glass that made up part of the zipped door. Smiling, he let her in, taking off the little package and letter she carried and sitting it on the table. Harry still found the mix of house and tent bizarre, with all the rooms having at least one moss-coloured fabric-looking wall and several small, flexible windows.

A clock struck eight (he thought it powered by magic), snapping him out of worrying and instead he rushed to put on shoes and grab a bag with his usual assortment of pens, pencils, paper, books and money. Barrelling out and down the road, he made it in time to catch the half-hourly bus towards London. He switched to another after a dozen stops before, finally, rumbling to a stop by the park near Hermione's house a bit after nine.

It was a short walk down the road and he knocked on the door. There was what sounded like hushed whispers, but Hermione shouting, 'Mum, can you get it?' covered them.

'Yes dear,' Cleo replied, her footsteps sounding as she walked up to the door and opened it up. 'Morning Harry, are you well?' she asked, stepping aside for him to walk in with a nod. 'Hermione's finishing a bit of tidying. If you wait in the lounge, I'll get drinks and snacks.'

Harry smiled and shallowly bowed his thanks. They walked down the hall and Harry turned into the room.

'Surprise!' the occupants screamed. Harry looked around, finding his four best friends, Hannah's mum Helen, Neville's grandmother Augusta and Hagrid.

Cleo was curious when she heard Harry sniff and stepped beside him slightly, looking at the joyous smile. Two thoughts ran through her head. The first was, '_Did he honestly think we wouldn't __do something for__ hi__s__ birthday?_' The second was, '_Yes._' It took a large amount of self-control to not crush him in a hug or start crying and cursing his family.

The rest of the room looked on in a mix of concern and confusion as a single tear rolled down his cheek. Hermione edged out of the crowd slightly and asked, 'Are you okay Harry? I thought you'd want everyone here, I...'

David placed a hand on her shoulder and asked, 'They're happy tears, aren't they Harry?'

Harry was still in shock at the tender looks from so many people. Even Augusta looked a little worried and they had barely talked to each other at all. He noticed Hermione had moved and said something, as did her father. Slipping into lucidity, he processed what they said and nodded. Before anything else happened, he walked over and hugged Hermione for a moment, willing her to know how much he appreciated this.

'Everyone gather around for the presents I think,' Cleo said, herding the children onto the couch and surrounding armchairs. Watching (a now grinning) Hermione and Susan drag Harry over gave her thoughts of either a very lucky or very unlucky future for the boy. She quietly observed his surprise and glee while presents were continually placed before him.

Susan's was first. He carefully unwrapped the sky-blue present revealing a small box with a fine yellow cloth and a pot of what looked (and smelled) like shoe polish. 'Aunty says every witch and wizard worth their salt takes good care of their wand.' A little pamphlet was also there, but he knew he could look at it later.

A smile and nod later, he started on the one Hannah gave him. 'Be careful,' she said as he did. The peculiar tall dome covered in emerald gave way to a pot with a small cactus. 'I thought you'd like a plant in your, er, room. Even Ron would struggle to kill a cactus – it just needs a bit of water every now and then.'

Repeating the thank-you gesture, additionally grateful for her not revealing his living arrangements, he moved onto Neville's gift. It was a small, soft package wrapped in Gryffindor red and gold. Opening it revealed a posh-looking tie of the same Gryffindor red, but with a golden seahorse near its centre. 'I-it's tradition to get boys a tie w-with their family crest for their last birthday b-before going to school. I g-guessed you didn't get one.'

Harry placed it next to the two other presents, giving Neville the same smile and nod. His next one was a small ball of quidditch wrapping paper along with a note. Opening it, he read, '_Potter, Happy birthday from your team-mates. Don't feel like you have to get us anything, this is __really __a thank-you for the cup. __Clap to start or stop it. __Wood, Weasley, __Weasley__, Spinnet, Johnson, Bell._' He chuckled, instinctively knowing Wood had written it from the direct nature and lack of first names. Prying off the paper revealed a golden ball. With a clap, near-invisible wings shot out and it jumped into flight, but Harry reached out and grabbed it before it disappeared. Letting it go, it started darting around the room right until he clapped again, sending it plummeting to the floor where it bounced on the wood before rolling to a stop.

'An enchanted snitch! That's so cool!' Susan squealed.

Hermione, though, just asked, 'Wood?' and smirked when Harry nodded.

After David picked it up and threw it back to Harry, the next present was in place. It was simply an envelope addressed to him, but he opened it up and read the first of three slips of parchments. '_Dear Mr Potter, Although you may not know it, I have copies of every assignment, test and the like I have ever set as a teacher. While I make a habit of keeping the contents private, I have loosened my own morals this once. I hope that the included tests help you feel closer to your parents. Best wishes to you on your birthday, Professor McGonagall._'

It was an odd sensation for him as he pulled out the two tests. "James Potter" was printed at the top of the first in an untidy scrawl, much like his own when he rushed. "Lily Evans" was on the other in an elegant and smooth script. Harry felt strange reading what his own parents had written about transfiguration for their own end of first year test. There was no reason for him to care - it wasn't like they had written him a letter or anything - but it felt so personal, like he was holding a little bit of his parents in his hand.

No one interrupted him, though Hermione kept trying to read while he shuffled the papers. Finally, he placed them back in the envelope along with McGonagall's letter. There was only one present left. He hefted it up onto his lap, untying the piece of string holding the smooth brown paper over it. A leathery-looking front of a book was revealed, with "Pictures of the Potters" in a bold, golden font. Harry carefully picked up the album, hugging it closely before looking at Hagrid with teary eyes.

'Yer welcome, 'Arry,' Hagrid said. 'There's no' too many, bu' more 'an I thought I'd find.'

Harry lay it back down on his lap and stroked the front cover once before opening it to the first page. There was a list of people who had contributed pictures and a simple happy birthday message. Turning to the next, he was confronted by a small, animated boy with messy black hair who kept fidgeting in his seat. If it weren't for the eyes, he would have said it was a picture for him – well, the boy in the picture also had nicer clothes. On the opposite page, there was a stationary picture of a small girl with long, auburn hair and familiarly green eyes. It was a bit faded, but he really saw what people meant when they said he had his mother's eyes. His favourite part was the cheeky grin she had, just like when Susan would do something mischievous. Feeling the tears starting up again, he carefully closed it and gave Hagrid the biggest grin he could.

Hermione squeezed Harry's shoulder and whispered, 'I'll give you my present later.'

Cleo took the opportunity to slip out and into the kitchen, returning with a large cake. At first by herself, then with everyone else, she chanted, 'Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Harry. Happy birthday to you!'

The chocolate cake had a dozen candles equally spaced around the outside with "Harry" written in icing on the top.

'Go on, blow them out,' Cleo encouraged. He took a deep breath in and blew, just managing to get the last out. A cheer resounded and David fetched a knife, cutting the cake up while Cleo put them onto paper plates and passed them out. She found humour in the simple delight cake provided to children.

After everyone, apart from Augusta who stated that cake was for the young people, had finished, David rounded up the children and took them down to the park. Cleo had cursed her sly husband as she sat in the one armchair with Helen on the other, Hagrid on the couch and Augusta a bit to the side in a borrowed dining room chair. An awkward silence lay between them. She contemplated suggesting they join the children, but was unsure if it would be a good idea to expose the other three to muggle children give the eccentricity of some she knew and that Augusta had a vulture on her head didn't help either.

'Tea or coffee?' she asked, hoping for the ice-breaker.

'A cuppa tea would be lovely,' Hagrid said, pulling his own giant mug from one of the many pockets on the inside of his shaggy coat. 'Four sugars and jus' a bi' of milk, ta.'

Struggling with the bulky mug, she turned to Helen who shook her head and Augusta politely declined. Cleo hastily made her way to the kitchen, dropping the mug onto the counter with a clang. She filled the kettle and got out the milk and teabags while waiting. The little pot of sugar was a bit low, but she decided to fill it up later in case she ended up spilling sugar everywhere and had to clean up. Her musings on other kitchen-related tasks and purchases was cut short by the hissing of the kettle. Seconds later it clicked and the bubbling water calmed, though the torrent of steam continued. Scolding water filled most of Hagrid's mug, the two teabags leaking colour. After a bit of prodding, she took them out and counted four spoons of sugar in before giving it a gentle stir. A dash of milk lightened it before a proper stirring evened it out.

Trying to pick it up proved troublesome, so she got out a tray and added a plate of biscuits beside it to detract from the idea that it was due to her inability to actually carry what was probably a pint of tea from a handle with one hand. She chuckled at her own competitive streak that hated showing weaknesses, one she knew her daughter had. It became ever so evident when they would play boardgames or read the same book, times she remembered with fondness as the end result was always a beaming Hermione or a grumpy Hermione who would be tickled until she smiled. Of course, if she tried that now, there would be a good chance of being hexed whether or not the law said she wasn't allowed to. Perhaps she could convince Harry to do it as she doubted Hermione would retaliate against him, except with her own tickling and Cleo fully supported the idea of tickling more happiness into the boy.

As she placed the tray down on the table, inspiration struck at the common ground amongst those present. 'Harry's such a sweet boy, isn't he?' she asked.

* * *

David laughed as Harry and Hermione dragged the other three down to the park. By the time he sat on a bench under an old oak, they had been running around to see the ducks and a tree with a huge heart carved into it (he hadn't told them that "DG" and "CS" were in fact himself and his wife, but was sure Hermione would work it out if she thought about it) and the really big slide and the hat that was stuck in a tree since before Easter but after Christmas. He was truly sorry that simple things wouldn't keep them entertained when they got older.

Thinking about his little princess growing up made him shiver.

Back to the present, he wondered what Harry was doing not spending his birthday with his family. Cleo and he had their opinions, but he couldn't fathom how distant they would have to be to not even celebrate his birthday. Based on Harry's reaction to the party, even after throwing two other little ones at school from what Hermione had said, Harry had never and never expected to have a birthday party. David could understand that they trust Harry to get the bus by himself – they had raised a strong, independent girl themselves and would let her take the bus by herself if it wasn't into a bad area. What he couldn't understand was having Harry out of the house for most of the day every day for the entire summer holiday. If Hermione tried to pull something like that, Cleo would have grounded her for a week and he would have talked her down five days since he was wrapped around his daughter's finger and they all knew it.

The idea of being responsible for a child and being so irresponsible was bad enough. When he observed those small flinches and subtle positioning that placed him as far away from any adults, especially males, as possible, he wanted to scream in anger and sorrow. Yet, he couldn't do anything. He knew how vicious that fear was and that Harry would never admit to it until he placed absolute trust in someone. Hermione probably knew, he thought, but would never ask her about it because he wouldn't dare do anything to hurt his precious daughter's first friendship.

Watching the five of them running around, seemingly aimlessly, he pondered on the nugget of info which was that Susan's aunt worked in magical law enforcement. Harry would be more than willing to lend Hedwig for a piece of mail and had done for Hermione before, so it would be easy enough to do. The important question, as far as he was concerned, was, 'What happens next?'

Of all his faults, David (and his wife and daughter) knew his biggest was his ability to over think. He knew that Harry was something of a big deal in the magical world, so even a whiff of child abuse would be more than enough to get them to jump into action. What he didn't know was what would happen next. Sure, he would be removed from the household, but he didn't have anywhere else to go. Obviously, he and Cleo would welcome him, but he wasn't deluded and knew the magical world wouldn't let their celebrity live with more muggles after the last time.

That was what was stopping him. As bad as he assumed Harry's home life was, Harry still turned up happy and unhurt every day at their little house. There was no substitute for a loving family, but there was no doubt in his mind the wrong families would try to get him. Perhaps he was merely deluding himself and thinking of Harry as the son he never had and didn't want to lose him by risking it.

However, while his daughter was Harry's friend, that didn't give him a right to meddle in the boys life. For whatever reason, he was living with horrible people but living well. As long as Harry was happy, that would be enough for him.

It was on that thought he tuned out his brain, choosing instead to cherish the moments with his happy daughter and her happy friends. Oddly enough, he added a happy owl to that list as Hedwig arrived, nuzzling against Harry before apparently joining in the game.

That was what he strived for with his actions: happiness.

* * *

Cleo busied herself with sandwiches and drinks, her husband and the children shortly returning. If she was honest, everything had been finished half an hour earlier, but Augusta's blind praise of her son and distaste of her grandson's hobbies and skills had Cleo on edge. Helen, bless her, would keep trying to change the topic to no avail. She reckoned Hagrid was probably just as upset about the relentless assault on poor Neville, a kindred spirit of the groundskeeper it seemed, but his gentle giant persona wouldn't let him speak against anyone, especially not the prudish old woman.

'Honey, we're back!' David chimed.

'Food will be done in a minute,' she called back, piling cheese sandwiches onto one plate before putting the ham ones onto another. Another few plates with different fillings were set in place and two jugs of different juices joined them. Several stacked plastic cups completed the ensemble and she bustled through to the lounge.

For the life of her, she didn't know how they were still standing. Her little Hermione was panting and thoroughly reddened as though this was the closest to rest she had had since leaving a couple of hours previous. Even her David, who would rather miss brushing his teeth – a sin for any dentist – than his weekly gym appointment, had a healthy gloss of sweat, no doubt from being pulled into one game or another.

It gave her heart a gentle pang remembering her own unfulfilled wish of further children as she gazed across the cheery group. She placed the tray down, automatically inviting them all to take what they wanted and handing out the remaining plates from earlier. The cheese ones were gone first and she swooped back to the kitchen, making a couple of replacements.

Eerie silence awaited her. There was something off-putting about a silent group of children, which she assumed was because the only time they were quiet was when they were doing something they shouldn't or watching T.V.

Hagrid had, after no one else wanted any, taken the plate of her more exotic crispy green pepper and cress sandwiches. She admitted it was a bit ambitious given the young ages and reserved culture, but as long as someone enjoyed them it wasn't wasted. Helen had indulged her by taking a couple with Marmite and found herself on the "love it" side. Augusta declined, though would have had a drink if Cleo hadn't said it was orange juice and not pumpkin juice (Hermione had told her they were practically the same and Harry confirmed – apparently not every magical shared that opinion.)

Chattering picked up amongst the kids once they finished, removing any social pressures on the adults, much to Cleo's appreciation.

Much sooner than any of the children wished, the time was one o'clock. Augusta practically dragged Neville out, after formally thanking the hosts and wishing a Harry a happy birthday. Helen with Susan and Hannah was more friendly, sparing a few complementaries before having to drag Susan and Hannah, otherwise there was a good chance they'd never leave.

Having become attached to the kindly man, Cleo asked if Hagrid wanted to stay on, but he insisted he had to get back to the school. Her quaint house was near empty again and all she could do was stand with a smile and watch over her two charges going through the album. She suppressed a chuckle when Hermione's head first drooped slightly and again a few minutes later.

When Hermione actually slipped into dreams, she let out the chuckle. Harry looked petrified with her head lolling on his shoulder, so Cleo took pity. She nipped off to get a little blanket and lifted Hermione while Harry escaped to an armchair before gently lowering her daughter down onto the couch.

Leaving Harry to his present, Cleo slipped off into the kitchen and joined her husband in a cup of tea. They didn't speak for a few minutes, each lost in thought until Cleo finally asked, 'Can we keep him?' David kissed her forehead, holding her close with one arm. 'Please?'

Loosening his grip, he leant over and kissed her properly before looking into her eyes. 'Love you.'

Taking a sip, she said, 'I know,' hiding her smile behind the cup. Slowly, it slipped away though. 'I just want him to be happy,' she barely whispered.

'I know,' he quietly replied, adding, 'One of the many reasons I love you.'

* * *

Harry trotted into his humble home much earlier than usual after a day at the Grangers' house, but he had felt tired enough without a tummy full of food. Glancing at the clock, he probably had enough time to cook something nice, but didn't feel like going through the effort.

A few minutes later, he dropped into a chair with a bowl of cereal. It didn't take him long to get through it and moved onto a salad afterwards. As strange as it was, he liked the bizarre differences in taste.

Only when his light dinner was over did he notice the package Hedwig had delivered him in the morning. It had completely slipped his mind, having been pre-occupied with Dobby and then rushing out. He knew it was from Lupin, but no more than that.

A bit bigger than his hand, it was soft and, tearing the paper off, he held a little stuffed stag. It wasn't new, evident by a little rip and slight discolouration. Intrigued, he turned to the accompanied note, which read, '_Happy birthday Harry! I hope you like your present – he's called Prongs and he was your favourite toy when you were a baby. Best wishes, Remus Lupin._'

There were a few important points as far as Harry was concerned. The first was that Lupin admitted to knowing about him as a baby, which disagreed with the previous stance of Lupin having grown apart from his parents after school. The second was the name "Prongs" when the Weasley twins called him "Little Prongs" and it didn't seem like a coincidence. The third took a moment longer as he compared the stag in his hand to the remembered ones he made to practise transfiguration, which were eerily similar.

All in all, it was a mystery that need not be rushed, so he put it aside to focus on writing thank-you letters to everyone who had gotten him a present (including the contributors to Hagrid's book) which took him a good hour. As tired as he was, he decided to make use of his last present.

From his bag, he pulled out the nice set of pencils and paper Hermione had gotten him. He closed his eyes, remembering the scene when he first walked into the lounge. With all his concentration, he extracted the image from his mind to his fingertips as he reproduced it as well as he could.

That night, a very tired and very happy Harry fell asleep in his comfy bed. A rather tatty stag stood next to a little cactus, a thick book and a clean and shiny wand on his bedside table. On the walls, a dozen or so pieces of paper were stuck to the wall, three more added only that night. A near silent fluttering gave a reprieve from absolute silence and the odd flash of gold glinted. It was a very happy Harry indeed who had forgotten of the oddity that was Dobby.

* * *

Author notes

Honestly, did anyone think that the Grangers wouldn't throw Harry a party? This will be the penultimate summer chapter with the final one taking Harry and co up to Platform 9¾, including a bit of shopping in Diagon Alley (I apologise in advance for Lockhart, but I can't "kill" him off until near the end of the school year I'm afraid) and a bit more of that enjoyably insane house-elf. Meeting the Weasleys promises to be a painful affair in the uncomfortable situation way too.

Unstorily, a week for a chapter really is quite nice. I would have put it up last night, but I didn't get in last night, so apologies for that. My next experimentation area will have to be chapter sizes I guess, though the ~5k words have been treating me well.

Anywho, until next time, Harry is not a leading producer of jazz music.

Edit: Sorry for delay. Did have it ready on Sunday, but had an error when trying to edit the story to add this chapter. I'll try to get the next chapter up on Friday as an apology.


	18. Shopping

A few weeks had gone by since his birthday and nothing too bizarre had happened. One day, the door was a bit stuck. On another, the hamper didn't clean his clothes. His money had also moved around a lot, having switched from his bag to his closet to his dresser at various points. Harry was starting to wonder if he was going crazy.

However, it clicked into place one morning when he woke up to a rustling. He stole out the room and into the kitchen where Dobby was adjusting the temperature of his freezer-cupboard from on top of the counter. After a calming breath – his first thought of hexing the creature probably would have meant more trouble in the end – he coughed loudly.

Instantly Dobby was facing the other way with eyes wider than their normal large state. 'Mr Harry Potter sir!' it squeaked. Slowly, it edged away down the counter. 'It very early. Great Mr Harry Potter sir needs plenty sleep.' Harry kept staring at Dobby, which seemed to unnerve it. 'Dobby is making sure Mr Harry Potter sir does not go. Mr Harry Potter sir must not go! If Mr Harry Potter sir gots sick from bad foods, then Mr Harry Potter sir would stay in hospital and not go. Dobby is doing what Dobby must do!'

Harry wondered what he did to deserve this pest. When no more confessions were forthcoming, he took a step towards Dobby, who cringed. Another step had Dobby shifting into a crouch, fumbling into the gap between cupboard and counter.

'Dobby be going now, but Dobby be back! Mr Harry Potter sir must not go, it not safe!' it cried before it vanished in a pop, leaving Harry staring at where it was moments before.

* * *

'Like a little grey goblin with longer, droopy ears and massive eyes? Erm, I don't mean to be rude, but are you feeling okay Harry?' Hermione asked. The two of them were sitting on her bed, Hermione holding a recap of the Dobby related events complete with description. In reply, Harry nodded and she set off on a memory search for any thing that matched, but after a few minutes she shook her head. 'I don't know what it is, but I haven't heard of it in any books. Are you sure it's not a goblin?'

Harry rolled his eyes before nodding. Taking back his notebook, he started sketching Dobby, using his own body as a size marker, where it came up to a bit above his waist. Hermione was still clueless by the time he was finished, but suggested sending the picture to Neville, Susan and Hannah and hopefully one of them would be able to either identify what creature it was or recognise the name.

It was a good few days before he got the reply, during which he had to find a lot of his "misplaced" socks. Luckily, Neville, who he sent the picture to first, was familiar with what it was and that was a house-elf.

His summary on the creature was that it was bonded as a servant to a family and could do some magic to help it do its job. There were strict magical oaths in place to prevent them from directly harming humans and would have to obey any command given to them by their master, including punishments for "bad" behaviour. Because of this, no one really cared that they could go practically wherever they want.

Harry hadn't mentioned that Dobby was randomly appeared in his room, not to keep a secret, but because he thought asking how to stop them appearing would be enough. Unfortunately, there wasn't a way to easily do it, but he could ask Dobby to stop and, as long as his master didn't order him to, it should activate his oath, or something like that. If he was being honest, Neville seemed to have looked it up from an old book and some of the wording confused him a bit, but he thought he got the general idea and so drafted his request for the next time he stumbled upon Dobby. In case it would work, he also left a couple of copies around where he thought Dobby would strike next.

It was Friday when he set them out, so there were a few more days until Sunday the 23rd, when he would be going to the Weasleys' house, or the Burrow as they called it. Nothing happened that night, but Saturday morning he found the note placed on top of his shoes moved and all the shoes in place, hoping that meant Dobby would not longer be a bother.

Saturday night, after saying long goodbyes to Hermione (he found it odd how sad he was about not seeing her for only a week while he didn't feel close to as sad about not having seen any of his other friends since his party nearly a month ago) he packed up all his clothes, leaving an outfit for the next day, and a handful of essentials into his backpack. At first he was simply going to pack the tent up with everything inside, but there was the rather obvious problem of either setting it up or being unable to get anything out of it.

As he lay in bed that night, he wondered how different the next night would be with a loudly snoring Ron across his room again, only with the added problem of no silencing spells.

* * *

Harry and Dumbledore walked up to the door in silence. It was, Harry thought, strange that someone who was his magical guardian didn't even ask him how he was. Mrs Figgs was as polite as last time, once more aiding him in his flooing when Dumbledore went on without him.

He stumbled out into a, well, he would describe it as homely, room. There were a pair of worn couches and threadbare armchairs as well as an abundance of pictures lining the walls, making it almost as though the room was alive with animated wallpaper.

'Albus, good to see you! And you must be little Harry, what a handsome lad,' said a rather rotund lady as she walked towards them. After catching his eye, she added, 'I'm Molly Weasley, Ronald, Percy and the twins mother.' The rapid delivery was completed with a gentle smile, which wasn't enough to be confused of a grin, but definitely a noticeable difference from her normal expression.

In all, Harry felt a little out of his depth as he instinctually bowed shallowly and returned the smile. Whatever else Dumbledore had to do seemed important since he almost immediately stepped back into the lime flames calling, 'Hogwarts: Headmaster's Study!' thus leaving Mrs Weasley and Harry alone.

Within a minute, like clockwork, the other Weasleys stepped in at intervals of about ten seconds, giving Mrs Weasley enough time to introduce them. Even though he already knew them all, even Ginny by reputation from the twins, he was re-told their names, ages and main interests or future job interests in the case of Percy. He supposed it was what they thought was kind in case he had forgotten any of them, even if it would be impossible to forget the twins.

In all, only the twins and Ginny actually seemed interested in him. Once the greetings were done, and he was told that he would meet Arthur at dinner when he got back from working overtime at the ministry, they were the only three that stayed. Percy had muttered something about getting a head-start on his NEWT studies; Ron said he was in the middle of a game (Fred added that he was playing chess against himself); Mrs Weasley excused herself to continue lunch preparations, though asked if he had had breakfast or if she could get him anything first.

Harry didn't mind not being the centre of the entire household, he preferred it in fact. Ginny wasn't doing anything but watching and listening, which was peculiar since she had been described as vivacious (Hermione had told him what it meant) and fierce. Still, the twins were keen to detail their expanded prank arsenal for the coming year and current ideas they were finalising in addition to an audio tour of the house and surrounding area.

They were currently in a quaint area miles from the nearest house, giving them plenty of garden space for flying and a bit of amateur farming with some fruit and veg grown. The Burrow itself was held up using extensive magic, having been continually expanded whenever extra room was needed over the preceding centuries.

Once finished telling him about the Burrow, they took him upstairs to the room he'd be sharing with Ron. His trunk was sitting at the foot of the bed and he was pleased to note that everything was as it should be. It didn't take him long to transfer his school stuff to the trunk (a set of standard second year books, though he wasn't sure if the new defence teacher would change their requirements, along with some new potions equipment and larger robes) that he had bought during the odd few visits Hermione and he had made. His backpack also entered, but that really only had his tent, non-school clothing and some of the gifts or trinkets he had picked up in the last year.

Ron wasn't in the room and the twins left to give him some time to go through everything, telling him to find the room with smoke pouring out of it when he wanted to delve into the art of pranking-potions production. Rather than head down right away, he decided to relax for a bit.

While not that unusual for him, he realised he hadn't actually written anything since arriving. At Hermione's house, he could easily go the day without holding a pen once her parents became used to styling questions for yes or no answers and Hermione was more than happy to do enough talking for the both of them.

After what he thought was about twenty minutes, he slipped off downstairs, smirking when he found that the twins were quite literal with their description.

'Oi, close the door,' George snapped while carefully pouring some viscous fluid from a small cauldron into a vial.

'Mum gets in a right mood when we smoke out the house,' Fred added, stirring another cauldron full of bubbling pink. Harry hastily complied, picking up a spare pair of goggles Fred pointed to. 'Caught us mid-brew I'm afraid.'

'So you'll have to wait a few minutes for us to finish up,' George continued.

'Before we can get to the good stuff!' they finished in unison. Harry watched on in fascination as they soldiered on, consulting each other and complex notes that were scattered around them while professionally making the potions in a way that he thought even Snape could not fault.

In the end, it was closer to half an hour when they were bottling up their produce, but Harry would've been willing to watch all day. Holding a small test tube of what had earlier been pink but was now a horrible shade of purple, Fred said, 'We merrily present to you Weasley's No-Bye-Dye!'

Picking up where his brother began, George said, 'A lovely liquid that stains hair horrendous shades of the rainbow.'

'While also resistant to muggle and magical means of cover-up!' Fred gleefully added with a grin.

'It overpowers all the muggle hair-dyes we tested.'

'The colour change charm doesn't affect it.'

'Vanishing will take the hair off with it.'

'Glamours can dull the colour.'

'But not completely obscure it.'

'The only problem is it doesn't work on bald people.'

'Yet!' they announced together. Harry couldn't help but laugh and wonder how they had tested all of that when they couldn't do magic. Of course, a quick look around the room revealed random plastic bottles and bits and bobs. Scurrying in the one corner was a rat a with a violet midsection, so Harry guessed that their parents had tried – and failed – to remove the colouring from the rat.

'Our other product,' George said, holding a test tube of the earlier goop, only it now looked more like tar.

'Is inspired by something muggles call adhesives.'

'Basically a super-sticking charm in a tube.'

'But ours loses potency after an hour or so.'

'So we proudly present Weasley's Sitting-duck Super-glue!'

'Great for keeping a target in place.'

'For another prank to get them.'

'Or just making them late for something or other.'

'Whatever you use it for.'

'We guarantee an hour of top notch sticking!'

Harry watched as they proved their point by delicately lifting a blanket over their equipment into a corner of the room, applying a small blob of the stuff to opposite ends of the blanket and folding it in half across its width before adding another blob and sticking it to the adjacent walls as a kind of hammock. Fred proceeded to get in while George held it steady.

Once snuggly in, Fred started rocking slightly with no sign of either end coming loose. It wasn't long after that when George gave a pull during a swing and ended up tipping Fred out onto the floor, sending himself into hysterics.

Using his survival instincts, Harry backed up to the wall as Fred got his revenge using some kind of blue potion that completely removed one of George's eyebrows. With no ceasefire in place, Harry thought it prudent to be elsewhere in the house before being caught in the crossfire.

Unsure of exactly what he could do, he went down to the kitchen to see if Mrs Weasley needed any help. It was an odd room that linked the main staircase to both the front and back door in an L-shape. There were a few chairs by the one section of counter, passing as a small place for snacking, while another door led into the dining room.

Upon entering, Ginny was in the middle of speaking to her mother, though she froze when Harry approached.

'Oh Harry! Anything I can get you? Lunch will be ready in an hour or so,' Mrs Weasley said, only turning from the chopping of carrots for a moment to give him a warm smile.

He shook his head and pulled out his notebook, writing, '_I was wondering if you needed any help Mrs Weasley?_'

'Oh Harry,' she again said, practically cooing. 'In this house, cooking is for the girls. Isn't that right Ginny?' The girl in question squeaked under Harry's gaze, shrinking back slightly. Mrs Weasley leaned towards him and added, in a conspirational whisper, 'Bless her, such a sweet, shy girl, not like those _other_ ones,' practically hissing "other" before seamlessly switching back and finishing with another smile.

Unsure of what to do, he nodded and gave each a polite smile before returning back upstairs. Pressing his ear to the twins' door revealed they were still at it, with what could easily have been multiple small explosions going off inside. With nothing better to do, he returned to the shared bedroom and pulled out the Potter album, losing himself in his parents' lives.

* * *

The following morning, Harry begrudgingly got up. Today was the first of a week of intensive training and he was quite confident that it would be the last time in a while that he would get up without feeling like he was made of lead.

Downstairs, he joined the twins at the kitchen counter where a pile of toast and various spreads were out. They too seemed resigned to their fate, unusually glum while they ate in silence. Afterwards, they each procured their brooms, giving them a clean and tweaking the bristles into shape to pass the time.

When Mrs Weasley woke up and trundled down, the twins managed to convince her that stuffing Harry full of food wouldn't be a good idea when he planned on doing a lot of flying and he was thankful for it. A little before seven, a bit of stumbling and shuffling from the living room sounded, followed by the three chasers joining them.

At seven sharp, there was activity again and Wood walked through, beaming, and asked, 'Ready?'

* * *

Three days later and Harry struggled out of bed. If he didn't have the opportunity to sleep in until ten today, he wasn't sure he would have been able to get up at all. As it was, today was the day scheduled for shopping. While he did buy most of what he needed before, he hadn't actually had the official list of requirements and it turned out that the new defence teacher changed the books to most of the work by a Gilderoy Lockhart, who was apparently a world renowned fighter against the dark arts.

Harry wasn't quite so sure after hearing he had supposedly slain a basilisk with nothing more than a sword and a shield, but it wasn't really a problem so long as their new teacher knew what they were doing.

When he (eventually) made it to breakfast, he was surprised to find he wasn't the last one there. After becoming adjusted to the snoring, he had completely missed that Ron was still asleep. Given how much Ron ate, Harry was wondering what exactly he did to burn off all the food when his hobbies were seemingly eating, chess, talking about quidditch and sleeping. Well, to give him some credit, he did also play quidditch, but Harry wasn't sure that it was actually real exercise and, if it was, then keeper was certainly not much at all.

While he was thinking of odd Weasley habits, Harry was thoroughly confused by Ginny. Sometimes he wondered if she was actually one of a set of twins, since she acted like two people. There were glimpses of the girl the twins described every now and then when he would walk into a room or hear her (verbally) cursing her brothers at various points. Other times, she would act so timid he would forget she was even in the room. If he wasn't good friends with three other girls, he might have put it down to that.

Arthur, though, was by far his favourite Weasley so far. Like all wizards raised in magical households he had met, there was a certain oddness to him as well as a lack of common sense, especially when the topic was muggles. That his job was about muggle items didn't seem to help all that much. The first night Harry was treated to a tour of his shed, where there were piles of bits and pieces from various electric devices, most notably a collection of plugs that included foreign ones. That he didn't know the right way to say electricity wasn't much of a bother for Harry and was soon forgotten as he made use of his muggle upbringing to shed some light on sections. For the finale though, Harry was introduced to Arthur's pride and joy: a modified Ford Anglia that included speed boosts, invisibility, an expanded interior and much more. While Arthur may not know about electricity, a look under the hood revealed that he was right at home with anything mechanical. Harry was content to listen to Arthur detail the runes and enchantments he used all night long, but Mrs Weasley (Harry wasn't sure why he thought of her as Mrs Weasley rather than Molly) put a stop to it citing an early rise.

Despite wanting to continue the chat, Harry was simply close to collapse from exhaustion after each day and barely stayed up an hour after dinner. Since Arthur had taken the day off to aide in the transport of children and purchases, Harry was hoping to spend the afternoon doing so and maybe finally getting the twins to introduce him to making his own potions, something he was looking forward to trying the next summer when he had too much free time again. Then again, he thought learning a bit about runes could be fun if he didn't have to use magic with them.

Before he knew it, Mrs Weasley was corralling them around the fireplace, giving out instructions and warnings, most of those directed to the twins. Arthur was through first, declaring, 'Diagon Alley!' as he stepped into the lime flames. Percy, Ginny, Ron and the twins followed by.

Mrs Weasley then stared at him expectantly and he wondered if she would twig before he could explain why he wasn't flooing. Relying on his observations of magically raised people, he decided waiting could take a while and so got out and his pad and wrote, '_Could you say the place for me?_'

He honestly thought that it would click something into place instantly, but she took a few seconds still. 'Of course dear, Diagon Alley!' With that, he stepped into the disorientating ride. Despite being quite ready to fall flat on his face upon arrival, he wasn't quite ready to come out sideways, his elbows and knees smacking on the floor before he rolled into some chairs.

Sometimes he hated being a wizard and lying on the floor with sore muscles and battered joints was one such time. When he finally opened his eyes, a crack ran through the one lens and the other seemed wonky. He hoped Arthur knew a spell for fixing glasses, like Hermione had used when they first met on the Express.

'I have to say, Harry, that is the first time I've seen someone exit like that,' Arthur said, stifling his mirth while pulling Harry up. As he hoped, Arthur did know the spell and the crack thinned into nothingness while the other swivelled slightly. The others present, besides Percy and including the patrons of the Leaky Cauldron, were vocal in their amusement of his situation.

'What did I miss?' Mrs Weasley asked after elegantly stepping out of the fireplace and giving her arms a little dust to remove the unnoticeable traces of soot.

Arthur sighed and said, 'Nothing Molly. Shall we get going? No doubt it will be packed and we do want to be back for lunch after all.'

She narrowed her eyes, but nodded. The Weasley clan plus Harry hastily made their way out the back of the pub, stopping by the wall that marked the true entrance to Diagon Alley. A tap of Arthur's wand on the right stones sent it folding in on itself until it an arch, through which they strolled.

Harry had no idea what plan Mrs Weasley was following, but he knew it was going to take them an extra hour at the least if she insisted on visiting the shops in an order that required them to traipse virtually the length of the alley every time. For another unknown reason, she kept asking Harry if he needed to buy whatever they were currently looking at, even though he had told her he only needed the Gilderoy Lockhart books.

He hoped Mrs Weasley didn't have some kind of brain problem, but he was convinced she wasn't all there.

Rather than an hour later, as Mrs Weasley had predicted, but a little over two hours later, as Harry had thought, they were onto their final stop: Flourish and Blotts. Any hopes he had of getting in and out quickly were dashed when he noticed that the queue was from the book store and not, as he previously thought, the quidditch store (the new Nimbus 2001 was out.)

It was only when they were close to entering did he notice that Mrs Weasley had started acting even stranger and began giggling while whispering, 'Gil-de-roy' between bursts. Given that most of the queue, who were witches, were doing the same, Harry was starting to wonder if he had befriended the only sane witches alive. That thought died shortly after seeing Hermione in the queue, but didn't get a chance to go over as the rest of his group bustled him along inside.

Based on the advertising, Lockhart was doing a book signing, including a special announcement at one in the afternoon, for any fans who had already bought his book or books. As it was, the inside of the store, once you got away from the desk where Lockhart sat, was virtually empty. Mrs Weasley hastily shuffled the various parchments, snatching up books left, right and centre while perusing the aisles.

Surprisingly, when it came to getting the Lockhart books, it turned out that the twins, Percy and Ginny also needed the same set of books. Harry was beginning to doubt the ability of their new professor if he'd be teaching seventh years with the same reading as first years, but was glad that he didn't have OWLs or NEWTs to take this year.

Harry took his own set down, but before taking five sets of the books for their own children, the elder Weasleys held a short conversation away from prying ears, after which only three sets were removed. Mrs Weasley whispered that the twins would have to share with each other and Ginny with her other two brothers, something Harry thought he wasn't supposed to hear. He wondered if he would be able to convince them to let him pay for the extra sets, but doubted it. The books were overpriced and having to buy thirty-five of them in total was steep. Even fourteen of them cost more than the rest of the books that they would be buying.

On the way out, Mrs Weasley seemed to lose her last bits of sanity as she thrust the various bags towards the rest and said, 'Oh Arthur, I have something important to do if you wouldn't mind taking the children home!' She then dropped the bags, apart from one with Ron's books. In a flash, she darted out and to the back of the line.

Arthur could only shake his head, picking up what bags he could while Percy and the twins took the rest. Leading the rest out, they were passing Lockhart's stall when a pompous voice cried out, 'If it isn't Harry! Come here Harry, don't be shy!'

Despite every instinct telling him not to, Harry turned to face whoever had called him. Lockhart was beckoning him over, the crowd parting for him. An older man with familiarly blonde hair and nose beside him, making Harry think it could easily be Lucius Malfoy. Given that said Malfoy wasn't glaring at him, Harry thought back to Zabini's advice and didn't want to provoke the man.

So, with hesitance, Harry joined the table, the crowd closing up behind him. 'It has been too long, hasn't it Harry? Why, the last time I saw you, you were barely passed my knee! Enough of the past though, you are no doubt here for school supplies, are you not?'

Harry was wondering why exactly Lockhart seemed to be insisting they knew each other, but decided he didn't really care as this would probably be the last time they ever saw each other. In answer to his question though, he nodded.

'Excellent! No doubt you need a set of books, at no cost for a family friend, and signed to my number one fan, don't you think ladies?'

The closest witches cooed and clapped and cheered while Lockhart asked Malfoy to hand over a set of his books which he then signed, offering them to Harry as though they were jewels rather than books of, what Harry was now sure were, lies. Not one to shun a gift when he knew it would be a perfect excuse to give the Weasleys a set, he graciously accepted them.

'Now, onto my other bit of news as it is close to enough to the time, is it not?' Again, the witches cheered. 'It is my great honour to announce that I have been asked to take on the position as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts this year!'

While everyone else was lost in their whooping, Harry, in his astonishment and disgust, dropped the books.

'Yes, Harry, quite a shock! I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner, but sometimes grown-ups can't tell you everything for your own good. How about some pictures for the Daily Prophet?' Without waiting for a reply, Lockhart grabbed Harry's arm and pulled around the table so Harry was firmly beside him.

Harry tried to wriggle free, but Lockhart wouldn't release his right arm and it was starting to scare him. He pulled a pen out and messily wrote, '_Help!_' on a loose piece of paper on the desk while Lockhart was busy grinning for the photographer and muttering advice on smiling between shots.

When Harry held up his plea, he got quite the smirk from the photographer and a flash followed. Seconds after, Arthur had managed to get over and firmly stated, 'Mr Lockhart, I'm afraid Harry must be going now, so you will let go of him.'

The fire that went with that command had Harry's opinion of Arthur soaring. Lockhart, adept at reading situations, complied, though those close-by were glaring at Arthur and Harry. Desperate to escape, he didn't pay much attention, heading for the exit until he heard a different person loudly drawling, 'Mr Potter, you appear to have forgotten your books.'

He turned and found Mr Malfoy levitating a pile of books for him from his seat. Confused as he was, he smiled and shallowly bowed before taking them back, having the odd sensation of them being heavier than before, but shrugged it off as paranoia from the crude words being whispered that were about him.

Outside the store, he let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. The twins gave him a sympathetic word while Ron was scowling at him for some reason. Harry didn't think Ron was a fan of Lockhart, but he hadn't really talked much with him. Ginny looked torn between glaring and hiding behind her father. Hoping to mend the non-existent relationship (as she hadn't actually said a word to him, only squawks), he switched his walking so he ended up beside her and offered her the books. After a brief look at Arthur, and a nod back, she accepted and squealed, 'Thank you!' before scurrying back slightly so she wasn't in direct view of Harry again, tightly hugging the books.

It wasn't quite a conversation, but he thought it a start. He wondered if he would ever meet that little prankster the twins had so fondly told him about. There was another six years of Hogwarts for him to try and find out, but he hoped it wouldn't take that long.

* * *

Wood was kind enough to give them Monday off, so Harry spent his last day of the holidays relaxing and wondering what the coming year at school would throw at him. He was glad he had actual defence books to read over (a quick flick through "Swimming with ghouls" didn't reveal anything of any use) and was desperately hoping that he didn't have to spend any time in the infirmary.

Apart from eating and the calls of nature, he didn't leave his bed, opting to slip in and out of dreams throughout the day and night until it was time to leave. The twins had warned him about leaving. Not only would someone always be late packing, someone (or some people) would forget something (or some things.) Despite leaving at nine and the station only being an hour away, they turned up, in the Ford Anglia, with five minutes to go before the Express departed at eleven.

After all the Weasleys were bustled through, Harry went to stroll through the faux barrier that separated platform 9¾ from the station. However, rather than slip through it, his trolley hit brick, jolting his arms and nearly knocking off his trunk.

Pressing his hand against it, Harry found the barrier very much solid and cursed his luck. Turning to Hedwig on his shoulder, she shook her head and Harry found the defeated gesture summarising how he felt.

* * *

Author notes

Well, not much to say really. Harry had quite the hard week and it's not giving him a break. I decided to tone down the Weasley section as it was fairly dull, shifting it to more a Harry-recap and extending the Dobby part. If anyone is worried about SPEW, it won't be making an appearance this year, but Hermione will have an introduction of sorts to them. For any who missed, Hermione's present was a set of art paper and pencils.

Unstorily, I've been thinking about putting this story on a hiatus and working on a new idea for a bit. One, that I'm liking, is Harry enters the world of dating after getting a kiss from Fleur for saving her sister in the second task and covers his interaction with Sirius and various girls. Another fluffy idea is, in fifth year, Luna discovers the prophecy early on in the year and comes to the same conclusion that love is the power. She then takes it on as a challenge to get Harry a harem and so follows her dealings with goblins, lords and teenage girls (after embarrassing Harry by getting all the pertinent details.) If I did, I would be tempted to go for the former and it would probably only be 50k words designed to go alongside canon up to the third task. Any thoughts on this are greatly appreciated.

Anyway, until next time, a goblin a day keeps your gold growing.

Edit: Still having upload problems, but found a work around! Hurrah for search engines!


	19. Rumours

Unable to get to the platform, Harry saw a few options. With Hedwig on his shoulder, a hasty note could get sent out, but he wasn't exactly sure if anyone would be able to help him in time to get him onto train and he didn't want his friends to worry. The Leaky Cauldron wasn't too far away and he was sure there would be a floo place in Hogsmeade, otherwise he could go directly to the headmaster's office. Since he had his bulky trunk with him, he was keen to find another solution.

Taking the Weasley's car popped into his head for a moment, but he wasn't an idiot and dismissed it almost instantly.

Looking around, he wondered if there were perhaps other wizards or witches around, either about to get to the platform or there in case something went wrong. If he remembered one of Hermione's lessons correctly, the area directly around the barrier was encased in a muggle notice-me-not charm, so only magical people would be looking towards it. Spotting a policeman giving him a curious glance, he hoped his memory was spot on.

'Is there a problem, Mr Potter?' the policeman asked when Harry was a few steps away.

More sure of the policeman's magical status now, Harry wrote, '_Barrier to 9¾ not working._'

The policeman immediately started striding over, Harry trailing behind. 'So it is,' he muttered when it wouldn't let his hand through. After checking his watch, he added, 'We have a few minutes, follow me.'

Harry found himself jogging to keep up with the fast pace that led them to the neighbouring platform and through a small alleyway that had "Fire exit" written on a sign above it. Seconds later and Harry caught sight of the scarlet steam train and bustling crowd.

'There you go son, quickly now.'

Sparing a moment for a smile and a nod, Harry rushed off, careful not to knock anyone over. When a whistle sounded, he knew it was going to be close. While most doors started closing, one near the back stayed open and he aimed for that, hoping that it was his friends, but ready to burst into a group of strangers.

'Harry!' Hermione shouted from the doorway. She, along with Neville, dragged his trunk on while he put the trolley a bit to the side. Hedwig jumped off just before he climbed on himself.

'See ya Hedwig!' the occupants chanted. As soon as Harry collapsed into his seat, the train groaned.

They all stared expectantly at him until Susan finally asked, 'Well?'

* * *

After half an hour, someone knocked on their door. Harry wondered if Malfoy was stopping by for a taunt. When Hermione opened the door, a short girl with big blue eyes and long blonde hair timidly stood there.

'I was wondering if it would be okay for me to join you,' she said.

Hermione felt her heart melt slightly. 'Of course, come in.'

With a bit of a blush, the girl took to the empty seat beside Harry, who helped put her oddly coloured trunk away – purple with blobs of green and silver stars.

Susan gave in to her curiosity and asked, 'Why aren't you sitting with your friends?'

After spending so much time with Hermione, Harry knew why the new girl was here and why Hermione had stopped by his apartment at the beginning of the last year, even if it was under the pretence of frog-finding, so found himself cringing slightly.

'My friend wanted to find some other first years, but the only compartment with room had but one space. She took it after I insisted she did as it was what she wanted to do in the first place while I was happy as it was,' she calmly said with no hint of emotion.

Harry knew everyone else was ready to insult the supposed friend, but didn't want to risk hurting the girl. He was quite glad none of them were the type to speak before they thought.

'Well, I'm Hermione and this is Harry.'

'Susan.'

'Hannah.'

'Neville.'

After waiting a bit for the girl to answer, Hermione huffed and asked, 'Could you tell us your name?'

'Oh, I'm Luna. Sorry, but I was waiting for someone to introduce Neville's pet frog.'

Harry, Hannah and Neville broke into laughter, while Susan managed to say, 'He's called Trevor,' before succumbing. Hermione wasn't amused and Luna acted like she hadn't said anything of peculiarity, which only added to the others' laughing.

Luna stayed mostly to herself the rest of the trip, Hermione occasionally trying to bring her into conversations by asking which house she wanted to be in (a small, cosy one on the French coast, otherwise Ravenclaw like her mother was) or what her favourite area of magic was (whichever one she enjoyed the most after trying them all), however they become less frequent when Luna would reply with those simple and witty statements that, at times, made Hermione feel like she was asking what colour the sky was and being told it was green if you squinted.

As soon as Luna pulled out a copy of the Quibbler though, Harry was happily scribbling away, more so once he discovered she was Luna Lovegood, the daughter of the editor of the weekly newspaper. Hermione was a bit disgruntled by some areas of their conversation ("Honestly, why would the minister eat goblins baked into pies?") but the others were polite in their disinterest of the seemingly fictitious ramblings.

By the time Luna parted company as she went to the boats, she was feeling on top of the world. Not only had she managed to find some nice people, one of them was even a fan of the Quibbler! Sure, Hermione seemed a bit close-minded and jealous of their conversation, but Luna was also sure that she would be much nicer after the nargles stopped affecting her personality.

Hermione, on the other hand, was suggesting the theory that Luna would sooner end up sorted into the Buckle-Toothed Morlack house than Ravenclaw. Harry was the only one to reprimand her, and inform her that they were Cumple-Horned Snorkacks, but she felt ashamed from the looks the others were giving her. All in all, she thought she could've handled the eccentric girl better, but the way she kept talking so bluntly and took all asked questions in a different way than intended left Hermione at a loss of what to do other than get annoyed.

* * *

Harry hadn't realised how dull the sorting had been last year due to being so nervous at being sorted himself. This time he got to appreciate the silence with intermittent cries of "Gryffindor!" or another house from the tatty old hat. There were only two people he was interested in seeing sorted and if the one wasn't at the end, he was pretty sure he'd have fallen asleep like a couple of others appeared to have.

When Luna was sorted into Ravenclaw, he was pleased for her while slightly disappointed he wouldn't get to see much of her. He couldn't help but feel a loss for all the bizarre conversations they might have had, but he guessed Hedwig wouldn't mind sending his thoughts over every now and then.

After Ginny was sorted into Gryffindor, amongst rapturous applause primarily from the twins and Ron, the feast was started after some nonsensical words from the headmaster. While he had been quite hungry before, Harry found himself feeling a little nauseous (along with most of his neighbours) when Ron decided to save time by foregoing his own plate and eating directly from the platters.

* * *

The first (half) week of school, for Harry, was dull. Potions was still bearable and his first lesson was much better than the one of last year. Transfiguration was boring as he hadn't realised that, after reading his dad's book so much, he had most of the theory memorised. Charms was revision to make sure everyone hadn't forgotten important theory over the summer, which was very hard for him to do after spending most of it with Hermione. Even Astronomy was double-checking everyone could still find the key planets and stars. Defence was laughable as Lockhart introduced himself and spent the rest of the lesson talking about himself before dismissing the class half an hour early.

By the time Saturday rolled around, he was looking for any kind of excitement.

Amongst the many owls swooping down at breakfast, a good number were from various newspaper companies. Harry gladly accepted his copy of the Quibbler, eager to check out the runes puzzle. Unfortunately he never got that far when Hermione let out a squeak and thrust a copy of the Prophet in front of him, where he was met by the headline, 'Boy-Who-Killed?'

What followed from that was an overly long description of how Harry turned up in the infirmary, Quirrel had died in an unknown way and a certain Miss Skeeter's pondering on whether or not the two were related.

Once he put the paper down, he was quite sure that he would never dare even think about having a more exciting life. The whispering and looks were putting him on edge and it was probably only Hermione and Neville either side keeping him close to calm.

If he was honest, it wasn't so much the whispering, but the truth of the article and the idea that at any moment an auror could walk in to arrest him. He hadn't given it much thought, but assumed Dumbledore had sorted it out since no one had talked to him about it.

Not long after, he left the hall accompanied by Neville and Hermione. It had taken him a while to get used to the stares of adoration from complete strangers the last year, but it was nothing compared to the looks of fear from those in the know. Those who weren't were quickly filled in. By the time they got back to the tower, Harry wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and wish it away, but Hermione was having none of it and sat them all down to do homework instead, even if it wasn't due in for days.

* * *

It hadn't gotten any better by Monday, but Harry at least had some support from the majority of Gryffindor and some of the younger Hufflepuffs thanks to Susan and Hannah's rallying.

Being with Hufflepuff for Defence was a great relief to Harry when they were all there first thing in the morning. Hermione had pulled Lavender and Parvati over while Susan had brought Ernie and Wayne along in support, keeping a light-hearted discussion going about the importance of proper wand care.

When Lockhart arrived "fashionably late" (a little over ten minutes) and took a further few minutes to open the door, Harry was ready to go get another hour or so of sleep. Hermione though, much to his amusement, seemed to be quite blind to the bumbling nature and kept her eyes on him the entire time they were filing in, only breaking contact to get things out of her bag.

'Good morning class! As you are no doubt aware after our introductory class, I am Professor Lockhart. Who am I class?'

Harry sighed while the majority of the female students eagerly chorused, 'Professor Lockhart!'

'Very good class,' he condescendingly commented. 'Now, today, I am setting a bit of a test to see how well you all know the most important person in the forever ongoing battle against darkness and evil since Merlin – me!'

Those who weren't enthralled all wondered how Lockhart managed to get through the door with such a big ego. Once they glanced over the questions, they altered that to wondering how he managed to grace mere mortals with his presence.

While not the kindest thing to do, Harry was looking forward to venting a bit of frustration with his answers. A slight smirk in place, Harry started reading.

'_Question 1: __What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favourite colour?_'

'_Aqua with a hint of lavender and a dab of marigold._'

'_Question 2: What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?_'

'_To win __the __"Best __piece of __fiction" award from Witch Weekly._'

'_Question 3: What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?_'

'_Slaying a basilisk, even __though__ he did need __both __a sword and __a__ shield._'

'_Question 4: When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday and what would his ideal gift be?_'

'_It is whenever he wants it to be and his ideal gift is a set of all his books, __obviously first editions,__ signed by his accountant._'

'_Question 5: How many times has Gilderoy Lockhart won Witch Weekly's most-charming-Smile award?_'

'_Every time since he was born except for the few weeks __after__ he lost his front teeth __and once when there was a scandal about him using teeth whiteners__.'_

'_Question 6: If Gilderoy Lockhart could take a break from defeating the Dark Arts, what would his ideal job be and why?_'

'_Primary school teacher so he could make sure children grew up knowing all the important things, like who he was __and how to say his name correctly__._'

The list of questions went on and on, continuing to ask the most mundane questions possible.

Finally, Harry got to, '_Question 54: If you could ask Gilderoy Lockhart one thing, what would it be?_'

'_Were you the only DADA teacher applicant this year?_'

With that, he put down his pen and looked around the class. Hermione was the only other one finished and she was looking quite happy, though Harry didn't think it was for the same reason as he was, since she was dreamily staring at Lockhart. It was again the case that most of the female members of the class had a serene look about them while the handful remaining, in addition to the male members, were glaring daggers at the pages.

When everyone was done, Lockhart glided about the room to collect them all in, sparing a moment to read the first couple of questions and give the students in question either an appraising or disappointed look. Harry took great pride in that Lockhart didn't seem to know which look to go for after checking his and so promptly moved on.

Back at the front of the class, Lockhart said, 'Be back in a moment!' before scuttling off into his adjoining office and returning with a cage full of buzzing pink blurs. 'Now, Cornish pixies are notorious troublemakers and difficult to control if you're not as familiar with them as I. As a treat, I shall be displaying how one herds pixies, isn't that positively grand?'

'Erm, sir,' Hermione began, 'Are you sure that's a good idea?'

'Of course it is, my dear. After tackling werewolves, a little fuzz ball is of no concern!'

Before anyone could say anything else, he opened the hatch and a torrent spewed forth, splitting into groups as they flew across the room. They upturned chairs and desks, tossed around books, shredded pages of notes and did anything else destructive they could.

'Now class, the secret is to not show fear and to use the miscreant herding spell. Let me get my wand out and I will show you.' No one was listening, instead focusing on keeping their stuff from being destroyed, so everyone missed Lockhart getting out his wand only to have it picked up by a group of pixies and thrown on top of a bookcase. However, that didn't deter him as he continued to cast, ignorant of his wand-less hand. 'Peskipiksi Pesternomi!' he screamed, getting everyone's attention while he boldly stood with eyes closed.

After nothing seemed to happen, he opened one eye and quickly the other, sweat starting on his brow as he panicked, thinking he had just accidentally vanished his wand.

'Class dismissed! You three, I trust you to return the pixies to the cage. Good day!'

He was gone in a moment and the class quickly followed, except for the three at the back he had pointed to. Harry, begrudgingly, got out the previous year's defence book while Susan and Hermione sat there staring at where their wonderful teacher was. Flicking through a few pages, Harry found that a freezing charm would slow them down or completely stop them if done with enough power.

Keeping one hand on the book, he got out his wand and focused on the incantation and precisely did the listed wand movements, succeeding in noticeably slowing the pixies trying to steal his book-bag from beneath his foot. He quickly put the book in front of Hermione, which broke her daze and she joined him shortly, Susan catching on when Hermione started.

A few minutes later, the pixies, minus a few who escaped when the three started rounding them up, were back in their cage. Rather exhausted, Harry got his stuff together and went early to charms so he could have a bit of a nap before the next lesson while Susan kept darkly muttering about the loss of her favourite quill.

* * *

Harry's next defence lesson was the next day and it was remarkably different. The first notable point was that Lockhart was very keen to avoid any and all interaction with Harry, which he thought was due to Lockhart reading about the fate of the previous teacher – finally something positive to come from that article. The second notable point was that Lockhart didn't perform any magic and, if anyone were to ask, his wand was currently being cleaned due to a careless student spilling ink all over it. The third and final notable point was that Susan joined the Lockhard-is-a-fake group, though Hermione was still enamoured, much to Harry's chagrin.

Of points that weren't notable, Harry didn't think that re-enacting parts of Lockhart's books would count as teaching, given that using "a secret spell developed by Tibetan monks" wasn't possible for anyone other than Lockhart in curing a werewolf of its lycanthropy. When he asked Hermione about it, she was quite insistent that any knowledge is better than no knowledge.

The positive part of the rumours that Harry noticed were extended so that people he wasn't particularly keen on would avoid him. Even Malfoy would sneer at him from a distance and had yet to make any kind of comment at all to him, which was a great relief.

At dinner that evening, a school owl dropped a letter off.

'_Potter__, I'll keep this short. Lucius got the Quirrel case sealed under ministry law since it involved a minor. So, even though it was self-defence, no one official can say anything __without risking their job__. Lucius told Skeeter and got her to print the article right after arriving at school. Draco can't stop boasting about it and telling everyone we have to start rumours that you're dark. __If you want my advice, deny _murdering_ Quirrel. It's not a lie and if Draco says otherwise then he'll probably end up telling everyone in earshot about his father's great plan._'

Harry couldn't help but laugh at the irony of only the Slytherins knowing he wasn't a cold-blooded killer like Skeeter implied. When Hermione and Neville gave him concerned looks, he clued them in and, while Neville saw the humour, Hermione was too busy thinking.

After doing their homework that afternoon, Hermione finally came to a decision and agreed with the anonymous person's suggestion. She then wanted to know who the person was and why they were helping and Harry told her. Susan and Hannah got a look over the letter at this point and also agreed it was a good idea and that they would do their best to get the rest of Hufflepuff on his side.

* * *

It was the second Saturday at Hogwarts and Harry was sitting by the lake. Despite the slightly chilly wind, he only had on jeans and a shirt.

The glares had died down and there wasn't anyone bothering him too much. Malfoy had been trying, but failing, to get people to think that he had gotten away with murdering Quirrel because he bribed the head of the DMLE. The problem with that plan was that anyone who even remotely knew Amelia Bones knew she wouldn't accept any bribe, especially not one to cover-up murder.

That everything was going as well as it could be expected to was a greatly refreshing for Harry, but today he was sitting down by the lake to look over his album. The last weekend, when he had tried to look at the pictures in peace, Ron insisted on joining him since the Weasleys and Potters were apparently close friends, even though there wasn't a single picture of them together in his album. Needless to say Harry wanted a bit more privacy today.

Harry enjoyed going over the pictures as he would always find something or someone interesting that he had missed before. This time, in a picture of his parents at graduation, he found that, if he waited long enough, his dad would give his mum a quick kiss, leaving her blushing for a few moments. He thought it was quite a sweet sight and made him think back to the mirror of Erised. It had been a while since he thought of his heart's desire and wondered if it had changed. A part of him desperately wanted to go see, but the practical part reminded him he had no idea where it would be as it probably would have been moved.

The rest of the day moved on automatically for him as he was lost in the past. A bit of badgering from Hermione brought him back enough to write a few pages on a potion and draw an accurate representation of Gilderoy Lockhart in his battle against a vampire (Harry was confidant Lockhart would be hiding behind whatever he could find, in this case a large oak tree) before he went back to thinking. What he really wanted to do was ask Lupin a few questions, but he was stuck with the problem of getting their letters through without Dumbledore intercepting them.

While he had shared with Hermione that he was writing to an old friend of his parents, he hadn't told her that Dumbledore didn't want him to. She had grown quite a bit, but he wasn't in the mood to put up with her trying to convince him that Dumbledore would listen to reason. He knew she wouldn't blindly trust Dumbledore, but he was sure that she still assumed adults listened to you if you laid out your reasoning in a clear, logical and concise manner, which he most certainly did not assume.

It left him wondering if he could follow up on some of the notes his dad left. There were a few mentions of charming paper and a couple of invisible inks that could do the job. He would just have to hope Lupin picked up on it when he tried it.

* * *

Author notes

A bit of a short chapter, but I've got some coursework coming in on Monday, so been a little preoccupied. I'll probably edit and expand this, re-releasing it next weekend along with the next chapter, but thought it better to get it out now rather than when I next had some spare time.

Unstorily, it's not my intention to give up on this story, but after writing 100k words, it is getting to the point where a few weeks of not having to think about it is sounding rather great. On that front, another odd idea of Harry being raised for his last few years before school by a muggle escaped convict sprang to mind and it's looking appealing to me as a crude parody.

Until next time, don't use potions ingredients for smoothies.

Edit: Completed the self-beta. I have tried to write the next chapter, honestly I have, but the metaphorical brick wall isn't crumbling, so I've turned to a couple of other ideas until it does. I'm hoping it will only be a couple of weeks, but may be more like a month. Many apologies. If you've started here and already read the chapter, I haven't changed anything important, but merely added and altered the odd sentences.


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